Raphaël Varane Announce Football Retirement
Raphael Varane, a defender for Manchester United and France, has declared his retirement from international competition.
Varane played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, which was also his final match for France, the team for which he served as vice captain prior to his retirement.
“One of the greatest privileges of my life has been serving as a representative of our wonderful nation for ten years. The 29-year-old said in a statement on Thursday afternoon, “Every time I wore this extremely special blue shirt, I felt immense pride. He concluded after giving it some thought, I’ve decided that now is the ideal time for me to retire abroad, “The duty to give it all, play with all of my heart, and win every time we step onto the pitch.”
The former Real Madrid player made his international debut for France in the Les Bleus’ 3-1 victory over Georgia in a World Cup qualifying match in 2013 and went on to make 93 appearances for his nation.
He was a key player in France’s second-ever triumph at the FIFA World Cup in Russia almost five years ago, and he was also a member of the team that came close to defending France’s World Cup victory in Qatar the previous year.
Sadly, Argentina prevailed over the two-time World Cup champions on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 deadlock in regulation and extra time.
Varane spent ten years with Les Bleus, and during that time, he helped France defeat Spain in the UEFA Nations League final in Italy in 2021.
