Raphael Varane has stated that he has retired from playing football for France’s national team following the country’s elimination from the World Cup in Qatar.

Varane played 93 times for France and was on the team that won the tournament in 2018. However, he could not help Les Bleus defend their title last year.

Also, in 2021, he helped Didier Deschamps’ team win the UEFA Nations League.

In a statement, Varane said, “Representing our beautiful country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life.”

“Every time I wore that special blue jersey, I felt an immense sense of pride, the duty to give everything, play with my heart, and win every time we took the field.

“I’ve been thinking about it for several months and I decided that it was the right time for me to retire from international football.”

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Since his first international game in 2013, when he played for France, the Manchester United defender has been an essential part of the French team.

Varane played in all of France’s games at the 2018 World Cup, which they won for the first time since 1998. But he had a hard time at Euro 2020, where France lost a penalty shootout to Switzerland and was knocked out in the round of 16.

Hugo Lloris, France’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper and captain, quit international football at age 36. Varane’s decision comes just a few weeks after Lloris’s announcement.

The defender also said it was time for a group of “talented young players” to take over.

“Raphael called me a few days ago to explain that he wanted to end his international career. He’s an intelligent boy who knows how to take the time to think about it and weigh up the pros and cons before deciding,” France coach Deschamps said.

“Raphael believes he has reached the end of his adventure with the French team. I’ve been in a similar situation to him, I understand his arguments and respect his decision,” he added.