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France & Man United defender Raphael Varane announces retirement from international football.
Raphael Varane has announced his retirement from international football after earning 93 caps and a World Cup victory with France.
The elegant centre-half, who plays Premier League powerhouse Manchester United in club competition, is only 29 years old.
However, he has been a part of the French national team setup since 2013, and he assisted them in winning the World Cup in 2018, as well as winning the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and making another appearance in the World Cup final in 2022.
Le Parisien initially reported that Varane is following the lead of fellow countryman Hugo Lloris by walking away from the France squad.
It is suggested that a heavy schedule of domestic and international football is taking its toll on the former Real Madrid defender and he now wants to spend more time with his family.
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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 the moment with you for sure but the time has come for the new generation to take over. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
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Varane made his debut for France in a March 2013 match against Georgia. He remained a starter for Les Bleus all the way up till their 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2022 World Cup final. He has been a dependable choice for Didier Deschamps lately, but he is prepared to concentrate just on what is happening at Manchester United.