Didier Deschamps ended his tenure as manager of the French national team after the World Cup third-place match against England, and Olivier Giroud later paid tribute to him on social media.
On Sunday local time, former French international Olivier Giroud paid tribute to the coach who had been with the national team for almost his entire career. The former French striker, who made 137 appearances for the French national team and scored 57 goals, wrote on social media: "A page has been turned, but everything you have built will forever remain in the history of the French national team."
The two have witnessed the ups and downs of the French national team over the past 12 years, from Deschamps taking over as manager in 2012 to Giroud retiring from the national team in 2024. They've been through much together, including the 0-1 defeat to Portugal in the 2016 European Championship final and the 3-3 draw against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, followed by a 2-4 penalty shootout loss. Most importantly, they helped France secure their second World Cup title together in Russia, defeating Croatia 4-2.
Giroud wrote, "It is an honor and a great pride for me to write history for French football alongside you." He also mentioned Deschamps' words in the locker room after the match on July 15, 2018: "'We will be linked for life.' Those words still echo in my mind to this day!" Giroud was a regular member of the national team during Deschamps' tenure and once became France's all-time top scorer, a position he was not surpassed by Mbappe until the 2026 World Cup.
