Lille striker and former France all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud announced on Wednesday that he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2026-27 season.
“As a player, I think this is very probably my last season. That is why I am enjoying every moment in Ligue 1,” Giroud said in an interview with French sports newspaper L’Équipe.
“My career has exceeded all my expectations,” said the 2018 World Cup winner, who turns 40, while describing the difficulty of playing at the highest level at his age and the physical toll of 20 years as a professional.
Giroud began his career in 2006 in Ligue 2 with Grenoble before moving to England, where he spent five and a half years with Arsenal and three and a half seasons with Chelsea. He won the Italian league title with AC Milan in 2022 and the US Open Cup with Los Angeles FC two years later.
At international level, Giroud made 137 appearances for France and scored 57 goals. He currently plays in France’s top flight with Lille, who sit just outside the top three after five matchdays, level on points with Stade Rennais.
