As reported by ESPN, Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football for France.
Varane made his France debut in 2013. He has since spent almost ten years playing for Les Blues. The United centre back, who has 93 international appearances for his country, led his team to victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The 29-year-old also started in France’s significant final failures at Euro 2016 and most recently at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where his team narrowly lost to Argentina on penalties.
He was one of Didier Deschamps’ team’s most senior players, and when goalie Hugo Lloris announced his own retirement last month, he was expected to replace him as captain. Varane has decided to take the call, as it would also help him focus on club football. The French star has experienced injury issues in recent seasons, but now that he is no longer playing for his country, he can focus on United.
He will be able to spend more time with his family, including his two young children, Ruben and Anais.
Varane has been a consistent member of United manager Erik ten Hag’s defence this year, so the news is sure to be well received by the club’s fans.
The former Real Madrid defender has made 18 appearances under Ten Hag this season. He has formed a strong partnership with Lisandro Martinez that has helped United record the joint-most clean sheets (16) in Europe among the top five leagues.
