In a recent interview with Téléfoot, 37-year-old AC Milan and France striker Olivier Giroud discussed his future with the French national team and the challenge posed by Kylian Mbappé in breaking his all-time goalscoring record for Les Bleus.
Footballers often retire from international duty before ending their professional playing careers entirely. For instance, Raphaël Varane retired from the French national team at the age of 29 after their World Cup final loss to Argentina. However, Giroud, despite his age, remains a significant contributor to the French national team.
When asked about his future with the French national team, Giroud expressed his goal of participating in EURO 2024, acknowledging that it may not always be feasible but emphasizing the significance of winning the tournament.
Giroud achieved the status of Les Bleus’ all-time leading goalscorer at the 2022 World Cup, surpassing Thierry Henry’s record with 54 goals.
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Nevertheless, Kylian Mbappé, aged 24, is rapidly approaching Giroud’s record, having scored an additional 3 goals for France during the recent international break, bringing his total tally to 43 goals for Les Bleus.
When Téléfoot inquired whether Giroud was concerned that Kylian Mbappé might soon eclipse his record as he did with Thierry Henry, the French international responded optimistically, stating that he would be pleased to continue scoring goals to aid the team and, ideally, stay ahead of Mbappé in the goal-scoring race.