After his international retirement in the wake of Euro 2024 last July, Olivier Giroud, top scorer in the history of the French team (57 achievements), returned to the Stade de France on Sunday. He was celebrated before the quarter-final return from the Ligue des Nations des Bleus against Croatia, during a ceremony organized a few moments before kick-off in the enclosure of Saint-Denis.
With his children, Giroud settled on a podium in the middle of the field and a huge fireworks accompanied the revelation of his banner hung on the roof, mentioning his 137 tricolor capes. The FFF has indeed established a Hall of Fame by displaying the jerseys of eight legends of the selection at more than 100 selections. Giroud is thus alongside the record holder Hugo Lloris (145 selections), Lilian Thuram (142 selections) and Patrick Vieira (107 selections), while, on the other hand, Didier Deschamps (103 selections) is followed by Thierry Henry (123 selections), Zinédine Zidane (108 selections) and Marcel Desailly (116 selections). A great initiative.
Giroud but not Griezmann
On the other hand, a centenary player from the French team is not honored: Antoine Griezmann, who retired last September after his 137th selection. “Grizi” did not wish to join the celebration of Giroud this Sunday, evoking a family reunion in Mâcon, with his parents, in order to decide on his future. He took the opportunity to go to an N3 match on Saturday. He would have largely had the opportunity to go north of Paris before returning to Madrid … The federation therefore decided not to display a Griezmann banner while waiting for the return of the number 7 of the 2018 World Champions to the SDF. If he accepts one day to be celebrated in front of the tricolor audience …
