On Thursday, Didier Deschamps will announce his first post-World Cup list, with a view to the start of the Euro 2024 qualifiers in Germany. At 36 years old, Olivier Giroud hopes to be part of the Blues called up for the matches against the Netherlands, at the Stade de France, then in Ireland in Dublin, on March 24 and 27.
The top scorer in the history of the France team (53 achievements in 120 selections) repeated it in a report broadcast this Sunday on Téléfoot. “I still want to, dropped the AC Milan center-forward on the TF1 show. I still have the determination, and then the canes. What is his goal now? “We have to put in as much as possible so that Kylian struggles as much as possible,” joked Giroud, aware that Mbappé, already the author of 36 goals in selection at 24, is ideally set to overtake him in the short or medium term.
In addition, the 2018 world champion does not want his beautiful international history to end with a premature exit in the final of the last World Cup against Argentina (3-3 after extra time, 2-4 on penalties). He had been replaced by Marcus Thuram from the 41st minute, at the same time as Ousmane Dembélé (supplied by Randal Kolo Muani), while the Blues adrift were led 0-2.
He does not want to end on a failed World Cup final
“A lot of feelings are mixed in the head at that time, admitted Giroud. Disappointment, frustration, anger, incomprehension… I was disgusted for five minutes on the bench, mad with rage. »
But it didn’t last. “I put myself fully behind the team, retraced the striker, who even took a yellow card for protest from the sidelines at the start of extra time (95th). It was the best final in the history of the World Cup. Everything was there. And afterwards it’s so hard, the outcome of a penalty final is like tossing a coin in the air, tossing a coin. The famous lottery theory, where French teams lose (almost) every time.