The fate of a French world champion seems to be written to a decisive turning point. Free of any contract, the former pillar of the Blues in Russia in 2018 is seriously thinking about drawing a line on his professional career. After several years marked by missed injuries and rebounds, the decision could fall in the coming days.
Samuel Umtiti in the face of a crucial choice
The player in question is Samuel Umtiti. At 31, he gave himself until September 10 to decide: find a new club or hang up the crampons. This is what the team is revealed. The ex-defenseman of FC Barcelona and OL, who comes out of two complicated seasons in Lille, is finally rid of his chronic pain in the left knee. But despite a summer marked by a return to full health, he still has no point of fall. A situation that pushes him to seriously consider retirement.
History will remember that his knee, martyred in 2018, will have marked his journey. Hero of the semi-final against Belgium thanks to its decisive goal, Umtiti had played the World Cup by tightening his teeth. This choice conditioned the rest of his career: a long descent made of persistent pain, loss of speed and white seasons. His last match dates back to January 2024, during a 16th finals of the Coupe de France against the Racing Club of France.
Offers but few guarantees
According to his entourage, Umtiti still received proposals from France, Italy, the United States and even from the Middle East. But no project is clearly imposed on him, the player refusing to embark on an adventure without a real sporting perspective. His reflection, now more mental than physical, focuses on the need to avoid too much and preserve his image.
If he decides to hang up, Umtiti will become the fifth 2018 world champion to retire after Blaise Matuidi, Adil Rami, Raphaël Varane and Steve Mandanda. A choice that would mark the end of a paradoxical course, between planetary summit and brutal fall. Whatever its announcement, the future of “Big Sam” remains a subject scrutinized with emotion by French supporters.
