Antoine Griezmann, a pivotal figure in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, has announced his retirement from international football, marking the end of a remarkable 10-year career with the national team. The 33-year-old forward shared the news on X, expressing, “It is with a heart full of memories that I am closing this chapter of my life.”
Griezmann made his debut for France in March 2014 and accumulated an impressive 137 caps, ranking him third in all-time appearances for the national team, behind only former teammates Hugo Lloris (145) and Lilian Thuram (142). He is also fourth on France’s all-time leading goal scorers list, with 44 goals, trailing only record scorer Olivier Giroud, Thierry Henry, and current captain Kylian Mbappé.
Notably, Griezmann scored during France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final in Moscow. He was instrumental in helping France reach the Euro 2016 final, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals. More recently, he played a vital role in Les Bleus’ journey to the 2022 World Cup final, where they ultimately lost to Argentina in a dramatic penalty shootout.
His last major tournament, Euro 2024, did not go as planned for Griezmann or the French team, despite reaching the semi-finals without finding their best form. Griezmann’s final appearance for France came earlier this month during a UEFA Nations League victory against Belgium.
Griezmann’s retirement signifies the closing of a significant chapter for the French national team, which has seen an exodus of key players in recent years. Following the 2022 World Cup, both Lloris and center-back Raphaël Varane stepped back from international duty, with Varane retiring from football entirely just last week at the age of 31. Giroud also concluded his international career after this year’s Euro.
France head coach Didier Deschamps is set to announce the next squad for upcoming Nations League matches against Israel in Budapest on October 10 and Belgium in Brussels four days later, as the team looks to transition into a new era post-Griezmann.
Leave a Reply