Antoine Griezmann, star of the French national team and 2018 World Cup champion, announced his retirement from international football on Monday, stating he is “leaving with a heart full of memories” on his X platform account.
The 33-year-old Atlético Madrid player, who has represented France in 137 international matches and scored 44 goals, expressed that it was time to “turn the page” on this chapter of his life.
In a video that lasted two minutes and featured highlights of his career with the national team, including his victory in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and his six goals that led to the Euro 2016 final, Griezmann stated, “The time has come for me to fold the page and make way for the new generation.”
He used the occasion to thank his coach, Didier Deschamps, and the fans, saying, “Thank you to my coach, your trust and support throughout my international career were essential for my development as a player.”
Griezmann’s performance had been inconsistent in the recent European Championship, leading Deschamps to leave him out of the starting lineup for significant matches, including the semi-final against Spain, which they lost 2-1.
Despite this, in a September interview with the program “Telefoot,” Griezmann affirmed his reluctance to stop playing for the national team, emphasizing that representing France had always been a great honor and a source of pride since his childhood.
With the French national team, Griezmann clinched the 2018 World Cup title and reached the final of the 2022 World Cup and the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship.
