France’s all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud has announced he will end his international career after the European Championship next month.
The 37-year-old forward has scored 57 goals in 131 matches for France and was part of the French squad that won the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
“To be honest, this will be my last competition with Les Bleus. Obviously, I am going to miss it a lot,” Giroud said in an interview on Thursday.
“We need to make way for the youngsters.” He added
The 37-year-old forward will also switch to the US Major League Soccer after the Euros having signed a deal to play for Los Angeles FC, ending an 18-year sojourn in Europe playing in England and Italy as well as the French league.
“I am also feeling physical and mental fatigue,” Giroud told L’Equipe. “I’ve always said I was going to stop when my body asked me to. I think I have got two good years left. But as far as the French team is concerned, I think that will be the end of it.”
Giroud is best known for his time in London playing first for Arsenal before making the short trip to Chelsea with whom he won the Champions League in 2021.
More silverware came following his transfer to Milan where he helped the Italian giants secure their first Scudetto in over a decade.
The European Championship begins next month in Germany. France, which has won the tournament twice, is in the same group with Austria, the Netherlands and Poland.