Antoine Griezmann Retires From International Football

Antoine Griezmann, France midfielder has disclosed his retirement from international football, ending his 10-year career with the national team.

Griezmann, who played a crucial role in France’s triumphant run at the FIFA World Cup 2018, called time on his journey with the Les Blues in an emotional social media post on Monday.

“Today, it is with deep emotion that I’m announcing my retirement as a player of the France team,” he wrote.

“After 10 incredible years marked by challenges, successes, and unforgettable moments, it is time for me to turn a page and make way for the new generation.

“Wearing this jersey was an honor and a privilege.”

Griezmann was one of France’s most important players over the past decade and scored a goal in the team’s 2018 World Cup final win over Croatia in Moscow.

The 33-year-old, who struggled at this year’s Euro championship, was one of the key elements in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns as France took the title in Russia and finished runners-up in Qatar.

Nicknamed Grizou, he was a favorite among his teammates and fans and was the top scorer at Euro 2016 when France reached the final, only to be beaten by Portugal after extra time at the Stade de France.

Griezmann won 137 caps for France and imposed himself as a versatile player in Didier Deschamps’s midfield.

“We’ve had a long discussion about [his retirement] recently. Since his debut in the France team 10 years ago we’ve had a relationship based on trust and frankness,” Deschamps said in a statement.

“Even if his club career is not over, Antoine will remain a monument of French football, one of the greatest players in its history.

“It was often said that he was my favorite. We indeed had built a very strong relationship, that will remain intact. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, Grizou.”

Even when the captain’s armband went to Kylian Mbappe after Hugo Lloris’s international retirement, he was always a voice everyone listened to.

He played a record 84 consecutive matches with Les Bleus, a number that underlines his status as the national team’s most valuable player in the last 10 years.

The Atletico Madrid forward made his France debut in March 2014 and his 137 appearances are beaten only by his former teammate Hugo Lloris (145) and 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram (142).

Griezmann is also fourth in France’s list of all-time leading goal-scorers with 44, behind only record marksmen Olivier Giroud, Thierry Henry, and Mbappe.