France captain Hugo Lloris has announced his retirement from international football three weeks after his country lost the World Cup final on penalties to Argentina in Doha.
“I have decided to stop my international career, with the feeling that I have given everything,” Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris said in an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe published on Monday.
“I think it is important to announce this now, two and a half months before the start of Euro qualifying.”
Lloris made his international debut with only 21-years- in a friendly against Uruguay in November 2008 and now bows out after becoming France’s most-capped player during the World Cup.
He surpassed Lilian Thuram’s record mark of 142 appearances and finished with his 145th cap in the final, which France lost 4-2 on penalties.
The Former Nice stopper played at seven major tournaments in total, including Euro 2016, when France lost in the final to Portugal as hosts but notably captained France to victory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Les Bleus however have quality replacement for Lloris, with Mike Maignan of AC Milan and Alphonse Areola of West Ham United among those in contention.
Hugo Lloris’ decision comes after coach Didier Deschamps – in charge since 2012 – signed a new contract to remain in the position through to the 2026 World Cup in North America.
He called out Lloris as a great servant of the France team and paid tribute to his exceptional career.
“I must, we must, respect his decision even if he still had his place in our team, as he demonstrated during the last World Cup,” Deschamps said in a statement.
“Beyond all the records that his talent and professionalism enabled him to break, beyond the essential role that he played in our greatest victories … Hugo is a remarkable person on a human level.”
The next assignment for France is the qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in Germany, which begins at the end of March.