France's Raphael Varane retires from international football

Posted Friday, February 03, 2023 by ESPN

France's Raphael Varane retires from international football
Raphael Varane won the 2018 World Cup with France. Photo by ANP via Getty Images

Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football after France's failure to retain the World Cup in Qatar.

Varane, who made 93 appearances for France, was part of the side that won the tournament in 2018 but was unable to help Les Bleus defend their crown last year. He also helped Didier Deschamps's side win the UEFA Nations League in 2021.

"Representing our beautiful country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life," Varane said in a statement. "Every time I wore that special blue jersey I felt an immense sense of pride, the duty to give everything, to play with my heart and to win every time we took the field.

"I've been thinking about it for several months and I decided that it was the right time for me to retire from international football."

The Manchester United defender has been key member of the French national team ever since making his international debut in 2013.

Varane started every game at the 2018 World Cup as France lifted the trophy for the first time since 1998. However, he struggled in Euro 2020 as France were knocked out at the round of 16 stage, losing a penalty shootout against Switzerland.

Varane's decision comes just weeks after France's World Cup-winning goalkeeper and captain, Hugo Lloris, announced his retirement from international football aged 36.

The defender added that it was time for a "talented group of young players" to take on the mantle.

"Raphael called me a few days ago to explain that he wanted to end his international career. He's an intelligent boy who knows how to take the time to think about it and weigh up the pros and cons before deciding," France coach Deschamps said.

"Raphael believes he has reached the end of his adventure with the French team. I've been in a similar situation to him, I understand his arguments and respect his decision.

"As our paths separate, I wanted to salute his honesty, his unfailing commitment to the blue jersey. Raphael has played a central role on and off the field for the past decade."