Olivier Giroud to Retire from International Football After Euro 2024

Olivier Giroud, France's all-time leading goalscorer, has announced his retirement from international football after the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament. The 37-year-old striker, who has scored 57 goals in 131 appearances for Les Bleus, made the announcement in an interview with L'Equipe.

Giroud, who will join MLS side Los Angeles FC after Euro 2024, said it was time for the younger generation to take over. "To be honest, this will be my last tournament with France," he said. "Obviously I will miss it a lot. But I believe as regards 'Les Bleus', it will be game over after Euro. It is time to leave the stage to the young."

Giroud broke Thierry Henry's national goalscoring record of 51 at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, where France lost to Argentina on penalties in the final. He also played a key role in France's 2018 World Cup triumph.

Despite his success at international level, Giroud has never won the Premier League title, a fact he acknowledged in his interview. "If I triumph in the Euro, I can say that I won everything apart from the Premier League, which is very difficult to win," he said.

Giroud began his career at Montpellier, where he inspired the club to the 2012 Ligue 1 title. He then moved to Arsenal, where he won three FA Cups, before joining Chelsea, where he won the FA Cup again and the Champions League. He moved to AC Milan in 2021 and won the Serie A title in 2022.

Giroud believes he still has two years left in his club career, but he feels that his time with the French national team has come to an end. "I still think I have two years in me, but for the France team in my opinion it has come to an end," he said. "Time is beginning to catch up with me and I have thought about it long and hard. Playing every three days is becoming more and more difficult, especially at international level."

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