As the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals approach, France faces a formidable challenge against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal without their defensive stalwart, Raphael Varane.
Under the guidance of Didier Deschamps, France navigated through one of the toughest groups in the tournament, featuring the Netherlands, Austria, and Poland. After a win against Austria and two draws, Les Bleus advanced to the Round of 16, where they edged out Belgium with a late own goal from Jan Vertonghen.
Despite Varane’s absence, the French defense has remained robust thanks to impressive performances from William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano. They will need to continue their strong form against Portugal to keep their championship hopes alive.
Raphael Varane out of the quarter-final match against Portugal
Raphael Varane is not playing in the quarterfinal match against Portugal because he retired from the French national team two months after the Qatar 2022 World Cup final.
Varane, who debuted for France at the age of 19, retired after earning 93 caps. During his illustrious international career, he helped France win the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League.
He announced his retirement on social media, expressing his pride in representing France: “Every time I put on that special blue jersey, I felt an immense sense of pride, a duty to give my all, to play my heart out, and to win every time we took the field. I’ve been thinking about it for several months, and I’ve decided that it’s the right time to retire from international soccer.”
