Tottenham stalwart Hugo Lloris announced his retirement from international football on Monday evening, putting an end to his career as France's captain and first-choice goalkeeper. The shot-stopper had a 15-year stint with Les Bleus that ended with a World Cup and Nations League trophy.
While that haul is impressive for many, he will perhaps be aggrieved by the fact he got so close to the famous World Cup trophy for a second time in his career. France made it all the way to the 2022 final in Qatar, but fell to Argentina in a dramatic 3-3 draw that was decided by penalties.
"I've decided to stop my international career, with the feeling that I have given everything," Lloris told L'Equipe in a statement on his retirement. "I think it is important to announce this now, two-and-a-half months before the start of Euro qualifying. I have really been thinking about it since the end of the World Cup, but there has been something deep inside of me for maybe six months now and which grew during the competition, leading me to make this decision."
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With the decision putting an end to his chapter with his nation as a player, it has also allowed him to clear the air on some things that were left hanging over from the World Cup. One of those was a report that the Tottenham captain didn't want Real Madrid striker and Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema in the squad.
"There are a lot of things that have been said, which are either false or ridiculous: the atmosphere was very good before he left, and very good after," Lloris told L'Equipe, slamming any previous reports of unrest. "But we would all have preferred that the Ballon d'Or winner, when we see what he has brought since his return, could be with us. He’s still a major asset!
"To say that we would have pushed for him to leave is completely false, and I do not see how we would benefit from that. He was essential for 18 months, he helped us win the Nations League, his return would only have been positive. It is really dishonest to claim that some of us were in favour of his departure. When you approach a World Cup, you want to do it with your best players."
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