With football players, as with most sports people, one of the most important things is to know when to call it a day. Olivier Giroud has hinted that he could be set to end his remarkable career at the end of the 2026-27 season.
The Lille striker suggested he may be set to end his career in the summer of 2027 after fruitful spells across Europe and the MLS.
Reflecting on his career, discussions have erupted about his status in the global game and whether he stands as one of the most underrated strikers in history.
He has had a very interesting journey so far, from winning Ligue 1 with minnows Montpellier to starring in the Premier League for Arsenal and Chelsea, the French target man has a goal catalogue to be envious of and a trophy cabinet of similar value.
Olivier Giroud Opens Up On Possible Retirement
Mere hours from his 40th birthday, Giroud had a sit-down with CANAL+ Foot, where he revealed that he will likely retire at the end of the campaign.
He stated that this realisation is the reason why he is savouring every moment of this season, potentially his last one in professional football..
“We can have interviews with L’Equipe next year, with pleasure, but, as a player, I think that this is most probably my last season. That is why I am making the most of every moment," he admitted.
Giroud has been a regular for Lille since his return to the club last summer following a spell in the MLS with Los Angeles FC (LAFC).
Last season, he played 44 times across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing an assist.
This term, he has scored once and provided two assists in six appearances for Les Dogues. He remains a key player and solid comtributor under Davide Ancelotti, averaging 51 minutes per game in Ligue 1 this term.
The former France international knows his body better than anyone else, and will be aware of the best time to stop without putting it through too much strain.
Giroud: A Proper Old-School Striker
Often overlooked in his prime years for his lack of explosive pace and flashy footwork, Giroud was in a class of his own when it came to aerial and physical dominance.
He was a selfless striker who used his physical prowess to bring his teammates into the game, allowing them to play off him while he attracted the opposition defenders.
Several stars, including Alexis Sanchez, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, and Kylian Mbappe, enjoyed playing off the striker, who was the ultimate focal point for his teams.
They could bounce the ball off him and get it back, or hang it in the air for him to bring it down and set them on their way to scoring goals.
In addition to his remarkable hold-up play and selfless contributions, his ability to score the most delightful goals is unmatched in today's game.
From overhead kicks and volleys to scorpion kicks and towering headers, Giroud has scored them all throughout his career.
He won the Puskas award for a brilliant scorpion kick for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in 2017, showing great improvisation to volley home with his heel after the ball was delivered behind him.
His goal for Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final a year later also comes to mind, as he danced his way through the Southampton backline before prodding the ball into the back of the net.
A Serial Winner: From Montpellier Miracle to France's All-Time Goalscorer
Olivier Giroud has a trophy cabinet that rivals most of the greats' and will make his peers envious of his success.
He fired Montpellier to a shock Ligue 1 title in 2012, earning a move to the Premier League with Arsenal.
At Arsenal, he won the FA Cup on three occasions before leaving for Chelsea in 2018 to make room for the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
His impact at Stamford Bridge was significant, as he won the FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Champions League before leaving the club for AC Milan in 2021. He won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the Europa League in 2019.
Giroud helped AC Milan to win the Scudetto in the 2021-22 season, ending their 11-year trophy drought in style before leaving for LAFC in 2024.
The Frenchman won the US Open Cup with his MLS side before leaving the club in the summer of 2025 to return to France.
On the international stage, Giroud was part of the France team that finished as runners-up in Euro 2016 before winning the FIFA World Cup two years later.
He was also part of the team that won the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and finished as runners-up in the 2022 World Cup.
The striker retired from international football after he played for Les Bleus at Euro 2024, featuring as they lost the semi-final to eventual winners Spain.
Giroud is France's oldest-ever goalscorer and oldest-ever player, with his final appearance for his country coming when he was 37 years and nine months old.
Where Does Giroud Rank Among All-Time Strikers?
Olivier Giroud is clear proof that consistent output and elite team success far outweigh media hype.
The striker scored more goals than Thierry Henry for France and was briefly his country's record goalscorer before his tally was surpassed by Mbappe.
Throughout his career, he proved his quality and ability to make significant contributions in every team he played for, right from his days in France's lower divisions.
As a player, he seemed to rise to the occasion whenever the need arose, making him a key player wherever he found himself.
Giroud's goalscoring numbers (303 goals in 806 club games and 57 goals in 137 games for France) do not exactly make fans gasp in awe, but the consistency in his output is what makes him stand out.
His longevity, big-game delivery, and ability to stand up to be counted certainly put him at par with some of the biggest names in football history.
He may never have been a 30-goal-a-season striker throughout his career, but there is enough proof from his journey that he was a brilliant striker and one of the most underrated in modern football history.
