Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football after 93 caps for France and a World Cup winner’s medal.
The elegant center-half, who plays for Premier League heavyweights Manchester United, is only 29 years old.
He has, however, been a member of the French national squad since 2013 and has guided them achieve worldwide triumph in 2018, as well as a UEFA Nations League title in 2021 and another World Cup final in 2022.
Varane has officially announced his international retirement in a post on Instagram, which reads: “Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life. I’ve been contemplating this for several months and deciding it’s the right time for me to retire internationally. I will miss these moments with you for sure, but the time has come for the new generation to take over. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”