Nations League: Olivier Giroud eyes Thierry Henry's record as France face Denmark
As France continue their World Cup preparations, Giroud is close to surpassing Henry as Les Bleus' leading scorer of all time
Olivier Giroud could become France's all-time leading goalscorer when Les Bleus take on Denmark in the Nations League on Sunday evening.
The veteran striker comes into the game at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium – both teams' final group match of the 2022/23 Nations League – having already history for Les Bleus earlier this week.
Giroud bagged the second goal as the reigning world champions continued their preparations for the World Cup 2022 with a 2-0 Nations League win over Austria on Thursday.
In registering his 49th international goal, the AC Milan man became his country's oldest-ever scorer at the age of 35 years and 357 days – breaking a record set by Roger Marche in 1959.
And now Giroud has Thierry Henry's record as France's all-time leading marksman firmly in his sights.
A brace tonight will draw him level with his fellow former Arsenal frontman on 51 goals for Les Blues (a hat-trick would be one heck of a way to go top outright, wouldn't it).
First called up by France in 2011 while at Montpellier, Giroud scored his first international goal on his third cap: a 2-1 friendly victory against Germany in February 2012.
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He's netted four times at major tournaments: three times at Euro 2016 – which France hosted – and once at the 2014 World Cup.
Giroud started six of France's seven games as they lifted the World Cup for the second time four years ago in Russia; he also made two substitute appearances at Euro 2020.
Thirty-six next week, Giroud likely only has one more World Cup in him – but he's showing just the kind of form which should keep him in Didier Deschamps' squad for this winter's tournament in Qatar, notching six goals in his last eight outings for club and country.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...