*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:36, 23 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:54, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
Giroud began his senior club career playing for hometown club
Grenoble, before he signed with
Tours in 2008, aged 21. He was named
Ligue 2Player of the Year in 2010 after finishing as the league's top goalscorer. He was subsequently the subject of a then-club record
football transfer when he moved to
Montpellier in a transfer worth €2 million, winning the club's first
Ligue 1 title and finishing as league top goalscorer in
2012. He then joined
Arsenal, where he won three
FA Cups to help end Arsenal's
nine-year trophy drought, and is the club's
eighteenth-highest all-time goalscorer. Giroud signed for crosstown
rivals Chelsea in 2018 in a transfer worth £18 million (€20.7 million), winning the FA Cup, the
UEFA Champions League, and the
UEFA Europa League, finishing as top goalscorer in the latter in
2019. Giroud then signed for AC Milan in 2021, helping them win the
2021–22 Serie A, which ended the club's 11-year league title drought.
Giroud made his senior international debut for France in 2011 at age 25, and has since earned over
130 caps, including appearing in six major tournaments. He is his country's
all-time top goalscorer, receiving the
Bronze Boot as joint second-highest goalscorer as France finished runner-up at
UEFA Euro 2016. He later won the
2018 FIFA World Cup, and appeared at
UEFA Euro 2020 as well as the
2022 FIFA World Cup, where France finished as runners-up and Giroud again received the
Bronze Boot.
Early life
Olivier Jonathan Giroud was born in
Chambéry in the
Rhône-Alpes region and was raised in the nearby village of
Froges, close to
Grenoble.[5] He is of
Italian descent through both of his grandmothers (Yvonne Avogadro and Antonia Gaiatto).[6][7][8]
Giroud began organised football playing for his hometown club, Olympique Club de Froges. He spent six years training at the club before joining professional club
Grenoble at the age of 13.[5]
Club career
Grenoble
Giroud spent five years developing in Grenoble's youth academy before signing his first professional contract at the age of 21. He later admitted that signing his first contract was an important part in his development as a player, stating "It took me signing my first professional contract to become aware of my abilities. If you [a club] trusted me, it was because I must have had some qualities."[11] Ahead of the
2005–06 season, he was promoted to the club's reserve team, which was playing in the
Championnat de France Amateur 2, the fifth level of
French football. Giroud quickly became an important player in the team scoring 15 goals in 15 matches.[11] His performances over seven months with the reserve team resulted in the player being called up to the senior team in March 2006 by manager
Thierry Goudet. Giroud made his professional debut on 27 March appearing as a late-match substitute in a 1–1 draw with
Gueugnon in
Ligue 2.[12] He remained a part of the senior team for the rest of the campaign making five more substitute appearances.[citation needed]
Giroud was promoted to the senior team permanently for the
2006–07 season by new manager Payton Pouliquen and Nicola Malgeri and was assigned the number 22 shirt. After appearing as a substitute in the team's first league match of the campaign, he made his first professional start in a 2–1 defeat away to
Niort playing the entire match.[13] On 26 February 2007, Giroud scored his first professional goal netting the
injury time winner against
Le Havre.[14] He described the goal as "a fantastic memory. I could not dream better for a first pro goal". A month later, Giroud made his third start of the campaign against Gueugnon. In the match, which ended 0–0, Giroud incurred his first professional
red card.[15] He finished the campaign with 18 total appearances and two goals as Grenoble finished in fifth place.[citation needed]
Loan to Istres
In an attempt to earn some playing time, Giroud spent the
2007–08 season on loan at
Istres in the
Championnat National, the third level of football in France.[11] Under the tutelage of manager
Frédéric Arpinon, he continued his development as a striker and, in his second match with the club, scored his first goal in a 2–1 win over
Laval.[16] Two weeks later, Giroud scored goals in back-to-back matches against
Vannes and
Créteil.[17][18] He scored his first double of the season in a 2–0 win against
Arles-Avignon.[19] A fortnight later, Giroud converted two goals again, this time in a 3–2 win over
Pau.[20] After going through the months of November and December without scoring a league goal, Giroud returned to form in January scoring goals in a 3–2 defeat to Vannes and a 2–0 win over
Beauvais.[21][22] He finished the campaign by scoring goals in April league fixtures against
Paris and
Martigues, which brought his total goal tally with Istres to 14.[23][24] Of the 14 goals, Giroud only scored four at the
Stade Parsemain, Istres's home stadium.[25]
After a successful loan stint, Giroud returned to Grenoble with hopes of receiving some significant playing time as the club was now playing in
Ligue 1. However, club manager
Mehmed Baždarević, who was hired while Giroud was on his loan stint at Istres, deemed the player surplus to requirements and, subsequently, listed him for transfer. According to reports, Baždarević had declared that Giroud "did not have the level to play among the elite".[11] In 2011, Giroud reevaluated his departure from Grenoble stating "I am neither resentful nor vengeful. I am just disappointed with what happened to Grenoble when there was great potential".[11]
Tours
On 28 May 2008, it was reported that Giroud had agreed to a three-year deal with Ligue 2 club
Tours. The striker was lured to the club by sporting director Max Marty who had previously served as the chief executive officer of Grenoble, Giroud's former club.[11] Giroud was also fond of Tours's manager
Daniel Sanchez stating "It's always a plus to have a former striker as a coach. His advice to me really helped a lot. With him, I progressed in my positioning and also in front of goal".[11] Giroud was given the number 12 shirt and, due to injury, made his club debut on 3 September 2008 in a 2–1 defeat to
Boulogne in the
Coupe de la Ligue.[26] He made his league debut a week later playing the entire match in a 1–0 win over
Nîmes.[27] A month later, Giroud scored his first goal for the club converting the opener in a league match against
Lens. In the second half, he scored another goal to cap a 3–1 win.[28] Two weeks later, Giroud scored his third goal for the club in a victory over
Ajaccio.[29]
In the
Coupe de France, Giroud scored five goals in two matches. In the eighth round of the competition, he scored the team's only goal in a 1–0 win over semi-professional club
Pacy Vallée-d'Eure.[30] In the ensuing round against
Réunionais club
Jeanne d'Arc, Giroud scored four goals in a 7–1 win.[31][32] Tours would later be eliminated in the next round by
Lorient.[33] After his four-goal display against Jeanne d'Arc, Giroud followed up the performance by scoring goals in back-to-back league matches against
Montpellier and
Metz.[34][35] After a double against Nîmes on 20 February 2009,[36] the striker suffered an injury, which forced him to miss three league matches. After making two substitute appearances on his return, in his first start since the injury on 3 April against
Angers, Giroud scored the team's opening goal in a 3–1 win.[37] Giroud later re-aggravated the previous injury in training, which led to him missing the entire month of April as Tours were contesting a promotion battle with several clubs. Despite losing Giroud, the club went unbeaten in the four league matches he missed. On his return against Boulogne on 8 May, Giroud scored his final goal of the season in a victory.[38] In Tours's final three league matches of the campaign, the club failed to achieve a win, which resulted in the club failing to earn promotion to
Ligue 1. Giroud finished the season with 27 total appearances and 14 goals.[39]
In the
2009–10 season, Giroud was promoted to the lead striker role following the departure of
Tenema N'Diaye to
Nantes. The promotion immediately paid off as Giroud scored two goals in the team's opening match of the season; a 2–1 win over
Le Havre in the
Coupe de la Ligue.[40] On 18 August 2009, he scored his first league goal against the same opposition in another win.[41] Following another league goal in a win over
Guingamp,[42] on 18 September, Giroud scored all four of Tours's goals in a 4–2 win over Arles-Avignon.[43][44] It was his second career four-goal match at the professional level and his third overall having had one at amateur level while playing with the Grenoble reserve team.[45] In the team's next 15 matches in all competitions, Giroud remained on form scoring ten goals. During that span, the striker scored in consecutive matches on three occasions. Giroud finished the fall campaign with 16 goals, 13 of which came in league play.[45]
On 26 January 2010, it was reported that Ligue 1 club
Montpellier had signed Giroud from Tours on a three and a half-year deal.[46] The transfer fee was priced at €2 million and it was also announced that Montpellier would loan Giroud back to Tours until the end of the 2009–10 season.[46][47] The striker admitted the move to Montpellier would benefit him the most stating "I feel that here (Montpellier), the coach and staff will be able to help me make real progress. The environment is ideal, the training center is good, the group is healthy, and there's a beautiful stadium with an audience that responds to this".[48] Following the transfer, Giroud went three weeks without scoring a goal before converting one on 19 February 2010 in a win over Arles-Avignon.[49] Two weeks later, he scored the team's only goal in a 2–1 defeat to Nantes.[50] On 19 March, Giroud scored two goals in a shutout win against
Châteauroux.[51] A week later, he scored in another shutout victory over
Strasbourg.[52] After the goal against Strasbourg, Giroud went seven matches without scoring before netting on the final matchday of the season against Nîmes.[53] He finished the season with 42 appearances and 24 goals. Giroud scored 21 in the league and was named the league's top goalscorer. After the season, he was named the
National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP)
Ligue 2Player of the Year. Giroud was also named to the league's
Team of the Year.[54]
Montpellier
Giroud officially joined Montpellier on 1 July 2010. He simultaneously made his club and
European debut on 29 July in the first leg of Montpellier's
UEFA Europa League third qualifying round with
Hungarian club
Győri ETO. In the match, Giroud scored his first goal for the club in the first half.[55] Montpellier won the match courtesy of Giroud's goal, but were defeated on aggregate after losing on penalties in the second leg.[56] Giroud made his league debut in the team's first match of the campaign; a 1–0 win over
Bordeaux.[57] On 28 August, he scored his first league goal in a 1–0 away win against
Valenciennes.[58] On 25 September, Giroud scored two goals in a home victory over Arles-Avignon.[59] The double brought his career goal tally to nine against the
Bouches-du-Rhône-based club. A week later, he scored Montpellier's lone goal in a 3–1 loss to
Lille.[60] In November 2010, Giroud scored game-winning goals in consecutive weeks against
Toulouse and
Nice.[61][62]
In the
Coupe de la Ligue, Montpellier surprisingly reached
the final of the competition.[63][64] In the semi-finals against
Paris Saint-Germain, Giroud played the entire match, which went into
extra time. In the 117th minute, he scored the match-winning goal to send Montpellier to its first major final since the 1993–94 season when the club reached
the final of the Coupe de France.[65][66] In the 2011 Coupe de la Ligue Final, Montpellier faced Marseille and were defeated 1–0 courtesy of a goal by
Taye Taiwo.[67][68] Giroud played the entire match.[69] Following his goal against Paris Saint-Germain, Giroud went scoreless for nearly two months before converting both club goals against the same opposition in a 2–2 draw at the
Parc des Princes.[70] Towards the end of the league season, Giroud scored goals against title contenders Marseille and
Lyon. However, Montpellier lost both matches.[71][72] After finishing the season as the club's top scorer, on 31 May 2011, Giroud signed a contract extension with Montpellier until 2014.[73]
Giroud began the
2011–12 campaign on form scoring in the team's first two league matches of the season against
Auxerre and the
defending champions Lille.[74][75] Montpellier won both matches. After scoring a double in a 2–2 draw with
Brest,[76] French newspaper Le Parisien affectionately dubbed him le buteur de charme (the charm striker).[77] The nickname paid tribute to his goalscoring ability, as well as personality and looks and was, subsequently, used by several other media outlets in France to describe the player.[32][78] In the team's next 18 matches in all competitions, Giroud lived up to the nickname by scoring 13 goals. The impressive output consisted of
hat-tricks against
Dijon and
Sochaux,[79][80] match-winning goals against
Nancy, Lyon, and Nice, and a goal each in the
Coupe de la Ligue and
Coupe de France.[81][82][83][84][85]
As a result of Giroud's performance and the team as a whole, Montpellier topped the league table in November 2011.[86] In January 2012, Giroud was linked with a transfer to several clubs. Montpellier's owner Louis Nicollin responded to the rumours on French radio station RTL and surprised many by deeming one club "not big enough" for Giroud, while also declaring that the striker would cost "at least €50 or €60 million".[87] At the start of the second half of the campaign, Giroud scored in back-to-back league matches against Lyon and
Nice.[88][89] Two weeks later against
Ajaccio, he assisted on Montpellier's second goal and scored the team's final goal in a 3–0 win.[90] On 24 March 2012, Giroud scored in the 1–0 win over
Saint-Étienne.[91] The victory placed Montpellier at the top of the table and the club remained there for the rest of the campaign capturing its first league title in club history after beating
Auxerre 2–1 on the final day of the season.[92] Giroud finished the season with a league-leading 21 goals and 9 assists. Despite being tied on goals with Paris Saint-Germain attacker
Nenê, he was named the league's top scorer by the Ligue de Football Professionnel due to finishing with more goals in open play.[93]
Arsenal
2012–13: Debut season
On 26 June 2012, Arsenal won the race to sign Giroud on a long-term contract for a fee believed to be around £9.6 million (€12.4 million).[94] He was given the number 12 shirt.[95] He made his debut on 18 August as a substitute for fellow debutant
Lukas Podolski in a goalless home draw against
Sunderland in the
Premier League[96] and scored his first goal for Arsenal on 26 September, in a 6–1 win against
Coventry City in the
League Cup.[97] His first Premier League goal came on 6 October, with the equaliser in a 3–1 win against
West Ham United, in which he also assisted a
Theo Walcott goal.[98] On 30 October, he helped Arsenal to a historic comeback in a League Cup tie against
Reading, as Arsenal were 4–0 down before coming back to win the game
7–5 after extra-time, with Giroud scoring Arsenal's second goal.[99] Giroud scored his first
UEFA Champions League goal for Arsenal in a 2–2 draw at
Schalke 04 on 6 November[100] and four days later he scored twice in a 3–3 draw at home to
Fulham.[101] Giroud's form earned him a place in the Premier League team of the week.[102][103]
On 17 November, Giroud scored the third goal in Arsenal's 5–2
derby win over
Tottenham.[104] Four days later, Giroud assisted both
Jack Wilshere's and
Lukas Podolski's goals in Arsenal's 2–0 victory over former club Montpellier, which allowed Arsenal to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.[105]
The Arsenal fans have warmed to Giroud as he has started to pick up form after a shaky start; a run of goals in consecutive games has led to a chant mimicking
The Beatles' "
Hey Jude" of 'Na na na, Na na naaaa, Na na naaaa, Giroud' echoing around the
Emirates Stadium.[106][107][108] On 29 December 2012, Giroud scored a brace and hit the crossbar after coming on as a substitute for
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 80th minute, as Arsenal beat
Newcastle United 7–3 at the Emirates Stadium.[109]
On 23 January, Giroud scored a brace as Arsenal beat West Ham 5–1,[110] and did the same in a Man of the Match performance against
Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup three days later.[111][112] On 30 January, Giroud scored as Arsenal fought back to earn a 2–2 draw, from 2–0 down at home to
Liverpool. Giroud scored a header from a Wilshere free kick, and provided an assist for Theo Walcott.[113] For January, Giroud was awarded with the Arsenal Fan's Player of the Month Award.[114] On 13 April 2013, Giroud played a big part of Arsenal's 3–1 win against
Norwich City at home, winning a penalty that led to the equalizer in the 85th minute. He then sent Arsenal ahead himself two minutes later and set up for Lukas Podolski. This victory sent Arsenal to third in the table, climbing past London-rivals
Chelsea and Tottenham.[115] He received his first red card for Arsenal against Fulham, which meant he would miss three of Arsenal's last four games of the season. His appeal was rejected by
the Football Association.[116] Giroud finished the season with 17 goals and 11 assists in 47 appearances.[citation needed]
2013–15: Ending the trophy drought
Giroud scored in the opening game of the Premier League season against
Aston Villa, a 3–1 loss for Arsenal.[117] His scored the only goal in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on 1 September.[118] On 26 October, Giroud scored the second goal in a 2–0 win at Crystal Palace, keeping Arsenal at the top of the
Premier League, and almost a month later scored a double against
Southampton, following a mistake from the Saints' goalkeeper
Artur Boruc, and then he converted a penalty in a 2–0 win. Giroud's last goal of 2013, and Arsenal's last of the year, came against
Newcastle United. His flicked header from
Theo Walcott's free kick gave Arsenal a narrow 1–0 win and placed them at the top of the table going into 2014. He then scored on his return to the first team against
Aston Villa after an ankle injury, a match that ended 2–1 in Arsenal's favour.[citation needed]
Giroud started the season by scoring the third goal in
Arsenal 3–0 win against
Manchester City in the
2014 FA Community Shield, a 25-yard shot which dipped over goalkeeper
Willy Caballero, thus winning Giroud's second title for Arsenal. Despite only coming on as a half-time substitute, he was named
Man of the match.[122] Shortly after scoring the equaliser in a 2–2 draw against
Everton on 22 August, he broke his left tibia and was ruled out for four months.[123]
On 30 September 2014, his 28th birthday, Giroud signed a new contract at Arsenal, keeping him at the club until 2018 and increasing his weekly wage to £80,000.[124] Giroud returned to action quicker than expected, replacing
Aaron Ramsey for the last 13 minutes of a 1–2 home defeat against
Manchester United on 22 November and scoring Arsenal's consolation goal in added time.[125] Later, he scored twice in a 4–1 home victory against
Newcastle United on 13 December.[126] Thirteen days later, he was sent off in Arsenal's 2–1 win over
Queens Park Rangers for a headbutt on
Nedum Onuoha after being pushed by the QPR defender.[127] He later returned from his three-game suspension to feature in a 3–0 victory at home against
Stoke City on 11 January.[128] On 18 January, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory against
Manchester City, giving the gunners their first victory at the
City of Manchester Stadium since 2010.[129] Giroud carried on his Premier League form by opening the scoring and by setting up
Mesut Özil for the second goal of the match as Arsenal beat
Aston Villa 5–0.[130]
On 15 February, he netted two goals in the space of three minutes as Arsenal defeated
Middlesbrough 2–0 to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.[131] His first goal concluded a move in which every Arsenal player touched the ball without Middlesbrough taking possession.[132]
On 25 February, Giroud was substituted 60 minutes into Arsenal's 3–1
Champions League round of 16 loss to
AS Monaco after missing several good chances for his club.[133] Four days later, on 1 March, he scored Arsenal's opening goal in a 2–0 Premier League defeat of Everton.[134] Giroud kept up his fine form by netting one goals each against
Queens Park Rangers,
West Ham United and two against
Newcastle United in the Premier League[135] while also scoring against
Monaco in the Champions League.[136] Giroud was announced as the
Premier League Player of the Month for March.[135][137] On 4 April, Giroud scored the fourth goal for his team in a 4–1 win over Liverpool.[138]
On 30 May, Giroud scored Arsenal's fourth goal after appearing as a substitute in the team's 4–0
2015 FA Cup final victory over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium.[139]
2015–18: Premier League runner-up, third FA Cup
Giroud scored Arsenal's first goal of the season, a
sideways scissor kick from an Özil assist at
Crystal Palace in a 2–1 loss.[140] On 20 October 2015, he came off the bench to score the first goal in a 2–0 win against
Bayern Munich in the
2015–16 UEFA Champions League group stage.[141] On 9 December, he scored his first competitive Arsenal
hat-trick in a 3–0 away victory at
Olympiacos helping the Gunners, who needed a two-goal win, make the last-16 of the Champions League.[142] Giroud scored the first goal in a 2–0 victory over
Aston Villa four days later, becoming only the seventh Arsenal player to reach 50 Premier League goals for the club.[143] On 8 March, Giroud ended a 12-match scoreless run, with a brace in a 4–0 away victory over
Hull City in a
FA Cup replay.[144][145]
On 8 May 2016, Giroud scored in a 2–2 against Manchester City at the
City of Manchester Stadium to end a run of 15 Premier League matches without a goal. He also assisted the team's second goal, scored by
Alexis Sánchez.[146] A week later, in the team's final match of the season, Giroud scored a hat-trick against Aston Villa to end
2015–16 with 16 goals in the
Premier League[147] and 24 in all competitions.[148]
Giroud made only three appearances in Arsenal's first nine matches of the
2016–17 Premier League, all of them coming on as a substitute. On 29 October 2016, after coming onto the pitch as a substitute in the 69th minute on matchday 10 of the Premier League, Giroud scored two goals with his first two touches in Arsenal's 4–1 away win against
Sunderland.[149] On 19 November, Giroud scored an 89th-minute equalising goal after appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United at
Old Trafford.[150] On 26 December, he scored in a 1–0 home defeat of
West Bromwich Albion on his first Premier League start of the season.[151] On 1 January 2017, Giroud scored with a backheeled "scorpion kick" volley in a 2–0 win against
Crystal Palace, a goal described by
Arsène Wenger as the greatest he had seen at the
Emirates Stadium.[citation needed] The goal later earned him the
FIFA Puskás Award for the goal of the year.[152]
On 12 January 2017, Giroud, alongside teammates
Francis Coquelin and
Laurent Koscielny signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.[153] During the
2017 FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, Giroud came on in the 78th minute with the score 1–1, and a minute later he delivered an assist for
Aaron Ramsey to score the winning goal which saw Arsenal lift the Cup for a record-breaking thirteenth time.[154] On 28 September 2017, during Arsenal's
Europa League group game away to
BATE Borisov, Giroud scored his 100th goal for the club in a 4–2 victory.[155]
Chelsea
On 31 January 2018, Giroud signed an 18-month contract with
Chelsea for an undisclosed fee.[156]
2018–20: Fourth FA Cup and Europa League victory
He made his debut five days later in a Premier League away game at
Watford, where he came on in the 64th minute replacing
Pedro. However, the result was a 4–1 loss.[157] On 12 February, Giroud started his first game for the club in which he provided an assist for
Eden Hazard in a 3–0 home win against
West Bromwich Albion.[158] He scored his first goal in the FA Cup fifth round against
Hull City in the 4–0 home win.[159] On 14 April, Giroud came off the bench to score twice as Chelsea recovered from a 2–0 deficit to beat
Southampton 3–2 at
St Mary's Stadium. It was his first time scoring in the Premier League with his new club.[160]
On 8 November, Giroud registered his first goal of the season away to
BATE Borisov in matchday four of the
Europa League group stage. It was the only goal of the match, sending Chelsea through to the knockout stages of the tournament.[161] In his next outing, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 3–1 away loss to
Tottenham Hotspur on 24 November.[162] Giroud then made it four goals in three games, bagging a brace at home to
PAOK in matchday five of the Europa League. Chelsea won the match 4–0.[163] On his 500th career appearance, Giroud scored a free kick to equalise and preserve Chelsea's unbeaten Europa League group stage campaign. The match against
Vidi at
MOL Aréna Sóstó finished 2–2.[164] Giroud scored his first Chelsea hat trick on 14 March in a 5–0 (8–0 aggregate) win over
Dynamo Kyiv in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 tie at
NSC Olimpiyskiy.[165] The following month, he became the first Chelsea player to score 10 goals in a single European campaign when he scored in a 4–3 semi-final second-leg win over
Slavia Prague.[166] In May 2019, he signed a new contract with Chelsea through the 2019–20 season.[167] On 29 May, he scored in Chelsea's 4–1 win over his former club Arsenal in the
Europa Leaguefinal; during the match, he also set-up Hazard's second goal. With 11 goals in the competition, he set a new record for most goals by a French player in a single European season, breaking the previous record held jointly by
Nestor Combin (achieved during the
1963–64 European Cup Winners' Cup) and
Just Fontaine (achieved during the
1958–59 European Cup).[168]
On 14 August 2019, Giroud scored his first goal of the season against Liverpool in the
UEFA Super Cup. Liverpool went on to win the match on penalties (5–4) after a 2–2 scoreline.[169] His first
Premier League goal came on 22 February 2020 against Tottenham in a 2–1 home win.[170] On 20 May 2020, Giroud signed a new one-year contract with Chelsea.[171] On 19 July 2020, he scored a goal and helped Chelsea to reach their 14th
FA Cup final after beating Manchester United 3–1 in the semi-final.[172] Giroud finished the league season with a goal in Chelsea's 2–0 win over
Wolves on 26 July, a result which secured Chelsea a place in the
2020–21 UEFA Champions League.[173] The goal was also his fifth goal in six matches and sixth overall since the restart of football following the
COVID-19 pandemic.[174][175]
2020–21: Final season and Champions League victory
On 23 September 2020, Giroud made his first appearance in
2020–21 season from the bench and scored his first goal of the season against
Barnsley in the third round of the
EFL Cup, which ended in a 6–0 win at home.[176] He scored the winning goal for Chelsea in stoppage time against
Rennes in the Champions League on 24 November; the victory secured Chelsea's progression to the
knockout phase of the competition.[177] On 2 December, Giroud became the oldest player in Champions League history to score a
hat-trick when he scored all four goals in a 4–0 win at
Sevilla. He also became the oldest player to achieve the feat in the European Cup since
Real Madrid's
Ferenc Puskás in September 1965 (38 year and 173 days against
Feyenoord).[178] On 5 December, Giroud marked his first league start of the season with his fifth goal against
Leeds United and landed himself in the Premier League's record books after continuing his remarkable goalscoring form. He became the oldest player to ever score in six successive Premier League starts at the age of 34 years and 63 days. He also became the first Chelsea player to score in six consecutive Premier League starts for the club since
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in October 2001.[179][180] On 8 December, Giroud marked his 100th appearance for Chelsea in a 1–1 home draw against
Krasnodar in the Champions League final
group stage match.[181]
On 15 February 2021, Giroud became the 17th player in Premier League history to make 100 substitute appearances when he replaced an injured
Tammy Abraham in the first half of Chelsea's match against Newcastle;[182] Giroud would go on to open the scoring in an eventual 2–0 win.[183] On 23 February, he executed a
bicycle kick that scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over
Atlético Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.[184] Giroud was an unused substitute as Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the
2021 UEFA Champions League final on 29 May.[185] Although Giroud's contract was due to expire at the end of season, with him having numerous offers to join as a
free agent, on 4 June 2021, however, Chelsea announced that a one-year contract extension clause was unilaterally triggered earlier in April, thus keeping the player at the club for the upcoming season.[186]
AC Milan
2021–22: Serie A champion
On 17 July 2021,
AC Milan announced the transfer of Giroud from Chelsea permanently on a two-year contract.[187] He made his debut for the club on 23 August, in a narrow 1–0 win against
Sampdoria, and scored his first goals, a brace, in a 4–1 win against
Cagliari.[188] Afterwards, Giroud would struggle in his first months of the season, following the effects of COVID-19, which he had tested positive and various injuries, but proved to be decisive on the following months, when his side was trailing by 2–0, he scored the opener for Milan to help his team achieve a comeback 3–2 win against
Hellas Verona on 16 October,[189] and he scored the only goal in Milan's 1–0 win against
Torino on 26 October.[190]
On 6 January 2022, he scored the opener against
Roma, and helped his teammate
Junior Messias scoring the second after Giroud snatched the ball from Roma defense and hit the post, in an eventual 3–1 win.[191] On 5 February, Giroud scored a brace to help his team win 2–1 against crosstown rivals
Inter in Derby della Madonnina, becoming the first French player ever to score a brace or more in Serie A against Inter.[192] Four days later, Giroud scored another brace against
Lazio in
Coppa Italia, as Milan thrashed the former 4–0, progressing to the semi-final of the competition.[193] On 6 March, in
Stadio Diego Maradona, although suffering from a deep cut in his left shin, Giroud scored the only goal in an away win against
Napoli, helping his team to climb to the top of Serie A table.[194][195] This was his 11th goal in the season in all competitions, equalling his total tally from the whole of last season for Chelsea.[196]
On 24 April, he scored the equalizer away against
Lazio, helping his team to a 2–1 comeback win.[197] On 22 May, he scored a brace as Milan beat
Sassuolo 3–0 away from home to win their first Serie A title in eleven years.[198] He ended the Serie A season with 11 goals (14 in all competitions), as he became the oldest player to reach double figures for goals in his debut season in Serie A at 35 years and 234 days. Furthermore, he also became the third French player in AC Milan's history to have reached double figures in a single season after
Jean-Pierre Papin and
Jérémy Ménez.[199]
2022–23: Champions League semi-finals
He scored his first goal of the season against
Bologna on 27 August, a volley in a 2–0 win; this was his 300th senior career goal for club and country.[200] On 3 September, Giroud repeated the feat of the previous season, as he scored and assisted a goal in a 3–2 win against Inter,[201] before scored the winner against Sampdoria in a 2–1 away win the following week.[202] On 14 September, he scored his first Champions League goal for the Rossoneri, by converting a penalty 3–1 away win over
Dinamo Zagreb.[203] On 2 November, Giroud a scored a brace and provided two assists, in a 4–0 thrashing of
Red Bull Salzburg in their final
Champions League group fixture, the result qualified Milan to the
round of sixteen.[204]
On 10 February, Giroud scored a near-post header in a narrow home 1–0 win over Torino, to put an end to Milan's seven match winless run in all competitions.[205] On 2 April, Milan defeated league leaders
Napoli 4–0 away, the latter's biggest defeat since losing 5–1 to
Atalanta in the 2007–08 season.[206][207] On 18 April, Giroud scored the goal in a 1–1 away draw against the same opponent in the
2022–23 UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg, which secured his team's progress to the semi-final, by winning 2–1 on aggregate, for the first time since the 2006–07 season.[208][209] They were knocked out in the semi-finals against arch-rivals Inter, who booked a place in the Champions League final for the first time since 2010.[210] He scored his first Serie A hat-trick on 20 May, in a 5–1 home win against Sampdoria.[211] On 28 May, Giroud scored the winner against
rivalsJuventus, to grant Milan's qualification to Champions league for the next season, marking in the process his 12th league goal of the season.[212]
2023–24
On 7 October, Giroud went on to play as a goalkeeper in the final minutes of a league match against
Genoa after
Mike Maignan was sent off, making a critical save in stoppage time to secure Milan's win after a late goal from
Christian Pulisic.[213][214] He was widely praised for his performance and even named on the
Serie A Team of the Week as a goalkeeper.[215] On 7 November, Giroud scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win over
Paris Saint-Germain on matchday four of the competition.[216] On 12 November, Giroud played his 100th competitive game for AC Milan, an away 2–2 league draw against
Lecce, in which he opened the score with his 40th goal for the club, before being
sent off in stoppage time for an argument with the referee.[217] For the incident, he was given a two-game suspension by the league's disciplinary committee.[218]
On 7 March 2024, Giroud scored his first goal in the Europa League for the club, netting the opener in a 4–2 home win against
Slavia Prague in the first leg of the
round of 16.[219]
On 3 November 2011, in an effort to reward Giroud for his performances domestically with Montpellier, national team coach
Laurent Blanc named the striker in the squad to play in
friendly matches against the
United States and
Belgium on 11 and 15 November 2011, respectively.[221][222] Giroud described the call up as "a childhood dream come true", while also stating it is "immensely satisfying and a privilege" to represent the national team.[223] He made his international debut in the match against the United States appearing as a substitute. France won the match 1–0.[224] Against Belgium, Giroud earned another cap appearing as a substitute as the match ended 0–0.[225] On 29 February 2012, Giroud scored his first career international goal in a 2–1 friendly victory over
Germany. Three months later, he was named to the squad to participate in
UEFA Euro 2012.[226] Two days prior to the announcement of the final squad, Giroud assisted on two goals in France's 3–2 friendly comeback win over
Iceland.[227]
2012–15: First major tournaments
On 16 October 2012, Giroud equalised for France in its 1–1 draw against
Spain in a
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Coming on as a substitute in the 88th minute, he scored a headed goal from a
Franck Ribéry cross in the fourth minute of injury time.[228] Due to his goal against Spain and good form with
Arsenal, Giroud, along with Arsenal teammate
Laurent Koscielny, received a call for France's tie against
Italy on 14 November.[229] In the match, Giroud had a few chances, but then was substituted with five other players in the second half as France came back from behind to win the match 2–1.[230] Giroud scored twice and was named man of the match in a 6–0 win over
Australia on 11 October 2013 in an international friendly.[citation needed]
On 13 May 2014, Giroud was named in
Didier Deschamps's squad for the
2014 FIFA World Cup.[231] After appearing as a second-half substitute in France's opening match against
Honduras,[232] Giroud was named in the starting line-up for the team's second group fixture against
Switzerland. He scored the opening goal of the match in the 17th minute to record his first
FIFA World Cup goal and the 100th at the tournament in the French national team's history, as Les Bleus ran out 5–2 winners to qualify for the
knockout stage.[233]
2016–18: Euro 2016 runner-up and FIFA World Cup triumph
In the
opening match of Euro 2016 on 10 June 2016,
France defeated
Romania 2–1. Giroud earned his 50th France cap by being in the starting line-up of that match and played every minute of it; he scored the opening goal by heading
Dimitri Payet's cross into the goal in the 57th minute.[234][235] He scored a brace in a 5–2 win against
Iceland in the
quarter-finals.[236] Following France's defeat to
Portugal in the
final of the tournament, Giroud finished the competition as the joint second-highest scorer, with 3 goals and 2 assists, and was awarded the
Bronze Boot.[237]
In a
2018 World Cup qualifier against
Luxembourg in March 2017, which France won 3–1, Giroud scored twice, taking his total to 23 and moving him into his country's top ten goalscorers of all time.[238]
On 2 June 2017, Giroud scored a
hat-trick at
Roazhon Park for France in a friendly against Paraguay which finished 5–0 to the hosts. In that game, he also become the first player to score a hat-trick for Les Bleus in 17 years.[239]
On 17 May 2018, he was called up to the 23-man
French squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[240] On 28 May 2018, Giroud scored his 31st international goal for France during a home game against
Ireland, equalling
Zinedine Zidane's record, and becoming the fourth highest goal scorer of all time for the country.[241] Giroud's inclusion in the team as a big man towering over opposing defenders was designed to create more freedom for
Antoine Griezmann and
Kylian Mbappé to generate offensive chances.[242] Giroud played in all seven matches, and though he failed to register a shot on target from 13 shots, his physical presence and link-up play was credited with Griezmann and Mbappé each scoring four goals.[243] On 30 June 2018, Giroud set up Mbappé's second goal in a
4–3 win over
Argentina.[244] In the
final of the tournament on 15 July, France defeated
Croatia 4–2 to win their second FIFA World Cup title.[245]
2019–2021: Post-World Cup victory and Nations League title
On 7 October 2020, Giroud played his 100th match for France,[248] where he also scored twice in a 7–1 win against
Ukraine, giving him 42 goals in his international career to surpass Platini's total and rank second for France.[249]
On 8 June 2021, he scored twice in a warm-up friendly for the
Euro 2020 against
Bulgaria, reaching his tally up to 46 goals, thus being only 5 down to French national team top goalscorer Thierry Henry.[250]
2022–present: Second consecutive World Cup final and all-time France top scorer
Giroud was called up to the French squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar; he started as the team's lone striker in their opening match against Australia on 22 November, scoring two goals and equalling Thierry Henry's 51-goal record for France.[252][253] He broke the record and became the national team top scorer after scoring a goal against
Poland at the round of 16 on 4 December.[254] On 10 December, he scored the winning goal against England, helping France to the semi-finals.[255] France lost to Argentina in the
final on penalties after a 3–3 draw.[256]
Style of play
Giroud is capable of playing in several offensive positions, but usually plays as a
striker or as a
centre-forward; he has also occasionally been used as a
second striker, or even as a
false 9. A hard-working striker, he is known in particular for his reliable goal scoring rate, size, physical strength, heading accuracy, powerful shot, ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal, and link-up play, or create space for his teammates with his movement off the ball.[257][258][259][260][261][262] He is also associated with making runs to the front post that outwit defenders.[263] Due to his playing style and penchant for scoring goals after coming off the bench, he has been described as a "target man",[261] and as a "super sub" in the media.[264] He has also been described by pundits as one of the most underrated strikers in the world.[265][266][267]
Outside football
Personal life
Giroud has an older brother, Romain, who was also a footballer, having played at the
Auxerre academy and having represented France at
under-15 and
under-17 level, however he dropped a potential professional career to study and become a nutritionist.[268]
Giroud has been married to Jennifer since 2011 and have four children together.[269] Giroud is an
Evangelical Protestant[270] and has a tattoo on his right arm from
Psalm 23 in Latin: "Dominus regit me et nihil mihi deerit" ("The Lord is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing). He describes himself as a "very believing person [...] I don't cross myself before my games but I do a little prayer".[78][271] In February 2014, Giroud reportedly cheated on his wife with model Celia Kay.[272] After the incident, he issued an apology to his wife but later insisted that he had not committed adultery.[272] Arsène Wenger, Giroud's manager at Arsenal at the time, did not comment on the matter, saying he wanted to "respect his privacy".[272]
In June 2023, Giroud auctioned the jersey he wore during France's
2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory to support
Armenian victims of the
blockade of the Republic of Artsakh. The jersey sold for €35,000 at a fundraiser to help persecuted Christians around the world.[273]
Media
In 2014, he became the face of
Hugo Boss's Boss Bottled men's fragrance.[274] In February 2015 Giroud was voted the 'Hottest Premier League Player'.[275] In an interview with GQ, he cited
David Beckham as an inspiration for the way he looks, saying that Beckham's "style is iconic".[276]
Giroud has been sponsored by
Puma since 2009.[277] He starred, together with countryman
Antoine Griezmann, in an advert for the brand, which was released in August 2016.[278] Often using elaborate moves in his
goal celebrations, Giroud's ‘Glamour slide’ goal celebration was included in EA Sports' FIFA 16.[279]
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ab"France forward Antoine Griezmann wins Golden Boot". UEFA.com (Union of European Football Associations). 10 July 2016.
Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2016. France forward Antoine Griezmann claimed the UEFA EURO 2016 adidas Golden Boot with six goals, three ahead of Silver Boot laureate Cristiano Ronaldo and Bronze Boot winner Olivier Giroud.