Manchester United and France Center back Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from the French National team.
In a shocking announcement, French international and Manchester United center-back, Raphael Varane, has confirmed his retirement from the national team at the age of 29.
Varane, who has earned 93 caps for Les Bleus, played an instrumental role in France’s successful campaign in the 2018 World Cup, and started in all but one match in the recently concluded 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they finished runners-up to Argentina.
In a statement on Instagram, Varane wrote: “Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life.
“Every time I wore this very special blue jersey I felt immense pride”
“This victory that we won all together would never have been possible without the support of Didier Deschamps, every member of the management and staff over the years, and my teammates who have defended our shirt in every game we played.
“But more importantly, this victory would not have been possible without every single one of you supporting us along the way.Your fervour, the celebrations and the memories of our return to France will forever be etched in me.”
“Even after the defeat in the final last year, with a beautiful course, you welcomed us as heroes when we returned.”
“To each and every one of you, THANK YOU a thousand times!”
Despite being in the prime of his career, Varane has expressed a desire to extend his club career and minimize the risk of injury caused by excessive match overload.
The defender has suffered multiple tough injuries in the past, including a thigh injury that ruled him out of the 2016 European Championships.
Furthermore, Varane has expressed a desire to spend more time with his family and has acknowledged the emergence of new talent in the French defense, including players such as William Saliba, Ibrahim Kounate, Wesley Fofana, Jules Kounde, and Dayot Upamecano.
Varane has had a stellar career to date, winning four Champions League titles and three La Liga titles, but his greatest achievement remains helping France win the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The retirement of such a talented player will surely leave a void in the French national team, but fans will be excited to see what Varane has in store for his club career.