Sports
Antoine Griezmann Announces Retirement From International Football
“With a heart full of memories, I am closing this chapter of my life,” the 33-year-old France vice-captain wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Atletico Madrid forward made his international debut in March 2014 and earned 137 caps, a tally surpassed only by Hugo Lloris (145) and 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram (142).
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Griezmann leaves as France’s fourth-highest all-time goal scorer with 44 goals, trailing only Olivier Giroud, Thierry Henry, and current captain Kylian Mbappe.
Among his career highlights, Griezmann scored in France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final and was instrumental in their journey to the Euro 2016 final, where he was the tournament’s top scorer with six goals.
He also played a pivotal role in France’s run to the 2022 World Cup final, where they narrowly lost to Argentina on penalties.
Griezmann’s final major tournament, Euro 2024, was less memorable, as France fell short of expectations despite reaching the semi-finals.
His last appearance for Les Bleus came in a UEFA Nations League win against Belgium earlier this month.
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Griezmann’s retirement signals the end of an era for France’s national team, following similar decisions by Hugo Lloris and defender Raphael Varane after the 2022 World Cup, with Varane also retiring from club football last week at age 31. Olivier Giroud, too, stepped down from international duty following this year’s European Championship.
Coach Didier Deschamps is set to announce his next squad on Thursday for upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel and Belgium.
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