France’s Raphael Varane retires from international football

After France lost the World Cup in Qatar, Raphael Varane declared his retirement from international play.

Varane, who played 93 times for France, was a member of the team that won the competition in 2018, but he was unable to assist Les Bleus in retaining their title the following year. In 2021, he also contributed to Didier Deschamps’ team winning the UEFA Nations League.

Merci pour tout 💙🤍♥️ pic.twitter.com/FUk4zZWFpt

— Raphaël Varane (@raphaelvarane) February 2, 2023

In a statement, Varane stated, “Representing our wonderful country for a decade has been one of the biggest honors of my life.” “Every time I put on that particular blue jersey, I felt a deep sense of obligation to give everything I had, to play with all of my heart, and to help us win every game.

“After giving it some thought, I determined that the timing was appropriate for me to leave the world of international football.”

Since making his international debut in 2013, the Manchester United defender has played an important role for the French national team.

Varane started each game as France won the World Cup in 2018 for the first time since 1998. He had trouble at Euro 2020, though, as France was eliminated in the round of 16 after losing a penalty shootout to Switzerland.