World champion in 2018 and finalist in 2022, the captain of the French football team announces his international retirement. He explains that he wants to spend more time with his family and feels the need to “hand over”.
Hugo Lloris withdraws from the France team. Captain of the 2018 world champions and the most capped player in the history of the French football team (145 caps), Hugo Lloris announced his international retirement in an interview with the sports daily L’Équipe published on Monday. “It’s not easy to announce this, but after fourteen years defending this shirt, which I wore with great pleasure, with pride, duty and a sense of responsibility, I believe I have come to the end.“, Says the 36-year-old doorman, finalist of the World Cup-2022 three weeks ago in Qatar.
“Over the years, the goalkeeper has become a pillar of the France team, of which he took the captaincy in 2010, even seizing, during the last World Cup, the record of selections held by Lilian Thuram (145 against 142)”writes The Team. “There comes a time when you have to know how to hand oversays Hugo Lloris. I don’t want to make it my own, I’ve always said and repeated that the France team doesn’t belong to anyone, and we all have to make sure that’s the case, me first. I think that behind the team is ready to continue, there is also a goalkeeper who is ready., he said, citing in particular the name of his designated successor in the tricolor cage, Mike Maignan.» The now ex-captain explains that he prefers “going out being at the top than waiting for a drop in speed, or too much competition. There is also a family choice, I feel the need to spend more time with my wife and my children.
International since 2008, Hugo Lloris was entrusted with the armband by Laurent Blanc, who had succeeded Raymond Domenech after the Knysna fiasco in 2010. The current coach Didier Deschamps made him a basic man of the France team, culminating in a Euro final in 2016, the world title in 2018 and a new World Cup final on December 18, lost against Argentina on penalties (3-3, 4 tab to 2 ). Package in Qatar, the AC Milan goalkeeper (27) is expected as the number 1 in the France team as part of the next qualifications for Euro-2024, from March.