Olivier Giroud plans to retire as a player at the end of the season

“We will be able to do interviews next year, with pleasure, but, as a player, I think that this is very probably my last season, Olivier Giroud told L'Equipe on Tuesday, September 29. That's why I take advantage of every moment,” added the 2018 world champion. On the eve of his 40th birthday, which he will celebrate on Wednesday, the Lille striker thus marks the end of a journey initiated in 2006 in his training club Grenoble, before revealing itself in Tours.

The one who spent eight years in London, first at Arsenal then at Chelsea, before joining Italy and AC Milan, also lived a few months in the United States, the time to win the United States Cup with Los Angeles FC in 2024. Before that, the current Losc player had won a Ligue 1 with Montpellier in 2012, four FA Cups (2014, 2015 and 2017 with Arsenal and 2018 with Chelsea), but also two European Cups with Chelsea: the Europa League (2019) and the Champions League (2021).

Called up for the French team for the first time in 2011 by Laurent Blanc, Olivier Giroud wore the tricolor tunic 137 times, for a total of 57 goals, which made him the top scorer in the history of the Blues until Kylian Mbappé overtook him during the last World Cup. 2018 world champion, Olivier Giroud was a central element in the quest for the second star of the Blues, just as during the epic finals of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup.

Retired internationally since July 2024 after a last adventure until the semi-finals of Euro 2024, Olivier Giroud has continued the pleasure since the summer of 2025 in Lille, signing his return to Ligue 1 thirteen years after leaving Montpellier. Author of 11 goals for his first year with the Mastiffs, he has only scored one, so far, this season.