Giroud says retirement at end of season is ‘very probable’
Lille forward Olivier Giroud has indicated that he is likely to retire from professional football after the current season. The former France international, who turns 40 on Wednesday, said he was enjoying each moment of what he believes could be his final campaign.
Olivier Giroud has said he will “very probably” retire at the end of the current season, bringing his playing career closer to a conclusion at the age of 40. The Lille forward made the comments in an interview with l’Equipe newspaper. “As a player, I think it is very probably my last season,” Giroud said.
“That’s why I’m making the most of every moment.” Giroud became France’s record goalscorer during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, although Kylian Mbappe has since overtaken him. Giroud scored 57 goals in 137 appearances for the national team and won his final France cap in 2024. His international career included France’s 2018 World Cup triumph.
He also played a significant role in the country’s run to the 2022 World Cup final, although the source material does not provide further details of that campaign. Giroud has enjoyed success at club level in several countries. He won the French league with Montpellier and an Italian league title with AC Milan.
His most prominent European club honour came with Chelsea, when the English side won the Champions League in 2021. He also won the FA Cup four times, including three triumphs with Arsenal. Giroud began his professional career with Grenoble in 2006, playing in France’s second division at the time.
Any retirement decision would end a career spanning two decades and involving major domestic and international honours. For now, Giroud remains with Lille and has said he intends to use the current season to appreciate his remaining time as a player.
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