Lilian Thuram is resisting the 2018 world champions for the moment. The illustrious defender of the French team, 1998 world champion and 2000 European champion, has been overtaken by Hugo Lloris as the Blues’ record selections. The goalkeeper and captain of Didier Deschamps finished his international career with 145 caps in 2022, narrowly overtaking Thuram. The Guadeloupean has 142 selections from 1994 to 2008, for only two goals, on his legendary double against Croatia in the semi-finals of the 98 World Cup.
Thuram was not surpassed in the number of selections by two great friends of Lloris, namely Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann, who retired internationally with the same number of matches on the clock, namely 137. Even if they are still active (respectively in Lille and Orlando City, in MLS), they will not return to the French group.
Lilian Thuram, Mbappé is far away
On the other hand, as the site reminds us Blue ChroniclesLilian Thuram maintains a magnificent record, that of the number of victories with the French team, with 93 successes to her credit! Giroud and Griezmann finished a breath behind the father of Marcus and Khéphren: 91 victories for “Grizi” and 90 for “Gigi”. Lloris won 88 matches in his entire French career. He missed six matches in 2022 and failed to catch Thuram during his last campaign with his selection.
If he is already a hundred years old in selections (106), at only 27 years old, Kylian Mbappé is still far from Lilian Thuram in terms of caps and victories. The current star captain of the Blues has so far won 71 matches and, even if the offensive armada of the Blues is exceptional (especially since the emergence of Michael Olise), the prodigy from Bondy will need four or five years to catch up with Thuram. If he does not miss any matches of the selection now led by Zinédine Zidane.
