A Olivier Giroud was presented to him in Qatar 2022 an unexpected opportunity to be the defending champion’s starting center forward. Karim Benzema’s injuryinopportune for all those who wanted to see the Ballon d’Or in the World Cup, it opened the door for the left-footed to go for two goals: redeem himself from his negative numbers in Russia 2018 and become the top scorer of the selection of your country. And he has already achieved both.
it was with him goal he scored to open the way against Poland that the attacker of the Milan of Italy he surpassed Thierry Henry as Les Bleus’ all-time gunner. He did it after an assist of a notable Kylian Mbappé. Thus, Olivier Giroud reached 52 victories with his national team jersey. And made history.
Precisely there had been a lot of talk about the crowning of France four and a half years earlier for being a champion who played with a false 9. Not in the tactical rhetoric implemented by Pep Guardiola to define a place where he would play. Lionel Messi in Barcelona. But because Giroud not only had not scored goals in Russia, but he had not hit a single shot into the rival goals either. A case of divan in any footballer But the Frenchman has other arguments to sustain himself in the team.
Olivier Giroud and the strange case of the false 9
It sounds weird and even unusual. to think that the striker, who reached 52 goals with his country’s shirt He has been playing the “false 9” for seven games in Russia 2018 and has not hit a single goal.
This fact caused him to be questioned despite having been an important piece in obtaining the World Cup, due to his role-playing game that exceeded his goalscoring skills. It’s strange? Not so much if one takes into account that when France won its first World Cup, in 1998, the starting number 9 of the team was Stéphane Guivarc’h, who also finished with zero goals.
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The return of Benzema, After the extortion affair of a teammate (Mathieu Valbuena) that had removed him from the national team and deprived him of being world champion in 2018, left Giroud in a weak position. Perhaps it should have been almost premonitory that the Real Madrid striker chose the 19 on his number, and that he left the 9 to the good old Olivier.
From substitute bank to property
With the absence of the Real Madrid attacker and Ballon d’Or winner, he found continuity again and ownership, but on this occasion, and unlike four years ago, now he acts with greater presence (and effectiveness) in the rival area.
He even benefits from the scheme chosen by Didier Deschamps, which places him as an attack reference with Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembelé and Mbappé behind him.
Despite the number of goals and titles, still a matter of debate about his performance and the performance on the pitch of the French fans. They were well aware that in Russia he had attempted nine shots in the 564 minutes he played in the seven French games, and in none of them had he hit the goal.
Olivier Giroud outplayed Thierry Henry
With the goal against the Polish team, Giroud has accumulated 52 goals, one more than Thierry Henry, who adds 51 conquests, 31 assists and 123 games played in his career. With two goals to Australia and the rest to PolandAccumulate three goals in Qatar: he is the second goalscorer in France, behind Kylian Mbappé, who already has five celebrations.
on the list of All-time goalscorers for France, behind Giroud and Henrythey follow antoine griezmann with 41 annotations, Karim Benzema with 37 and Kylian Mbappe con 31
Olivier Giroud and a career that went from less to more
Olivier Giroud was born on September 30, 1986. He began his career in the humble Grenoble Foot 38, of the second division of his countryto then wear the FC shirts Istres (third division), FC tours and Montpellier HSC In 2012 he went to the Premier League, to play in Arsenalwhere he was a figure and in 253 games with the Gunners he managed to score 105 goals in the team led by his compatriot Arsene Wenger.
Later he defended the Chelsea shirt, where he played 119 games and achieved 39 victories. Finally, the Milan hired him, where he has 23 goals in 57 games and comes from being crowned Serie A champion last season.
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As for titles, he won Ligue 1 with Montpellier, taking it to PSG, just as he has three FA Cups and three Community Shields with Arsenal, one FA Cup with Chelsea and one Serie A with Milan. In addition, he also won the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League and the 2020/21 European Super Cup. With the National Team, he was world champion in Russia in 2018.