Eight years ago, N'Golo Kante told Olivier Giroud he was planning to retire from international football. Giroud refused to accept it. "I told him, 'no NG, look, you are top of the world'," the former Chelsea striker recalled. "You need to carry on. You are too young to stop."
Kante, now 35, is still in the France squad for the 2026 World Cup, a decision Giroud says vindicates his plea. "NG is NG," Giroud explained. "You might have not seen him in the Premier League for a few years because he has been playing in Saudi Arabia and, since February for Fenerbahce in Turkey, but he has not changed."
“Giroud reveals he persuaded Kante not to quit France eight years ago, as he remains crucial for the World Cup.”
His presence is a testament to Didier Deschamps' evolving selection policy. "Back in the day, if you were playing outside the top leagues in Europe, it might have meant Didier Deschamps would not pick you," Giroud said. Deschamps used to call up Kante even when he was in Saudi Arabia because "as long as he is delivering his game, you can always count on him".
Giroud expects Deschamps to bench Kante for Tuesday's opener against Senegal, starting Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot in midfield. The attack is set to feature Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Kylian Mbappe. "You cannot play a whole World Cup with just two midfielders," Giroud warned. "You need balance between attack and defence, and N'Golo always brings that."
Deschamps faces a tough call on who to support Mbappe in the star-studded Les Bleus attack, but Giroud insists Kante's role will be critical. "When I played with him, I used to say we played with 12 men because he can do two jobs," he said. "His energy is incredible, and his mentality is contagious. N'Golo will be massively important, especially if we need to hold a lead."