Giroud: Why Kante remains crucial for France

Olivier Giroud has revealed that he persuaded N'Golo Kante not to retire from international football eight years ago, and the veteran midfielder remains a crucial figure for France at the 2025 World Cup.

Speaking to the BBC, Giroud recalled a conversation with Kante after they won the 2018 World Cup together. "When we were both back at Chelsea after we had won the World Cup together with France in 2018, N'Golo Kante said to me, 'Oli, I think I am going to retire from the national team.' I told him, 'no NG, look, you are top of the world. I can understand why you are saying this, but you need to carry on. You are too young to stop,'" Giroud said.

Now 35, Kante is still in the France squad despite playing outside Europe's top leagues. After leaving Chelsea, he spent time in Saudi Arabia before joining Fenerbahce in Turkey in February. Giroud noted that manager Didier Deschamps has evolved his thinking on selecting players from less prominent leagues. "Back in the day, if you were playing outside the top leagues in Europe, it might have meant Didier Deschamps would not pick you for France. For example, Andre-Pierre Gignac was already in Mexico when he played in the Euro 2016 final, but Deschamps told him that if he stayed in a championship like that, and not at the best level in Europe, then he would not have the chance to come back into the national team," Giroud explained. "Deschamps has evolved in his thinking since then, because he knows he needs to adapt, and a lot of those leagues are stronger now. But he also used to still call up N'Golo when he was in Saudi Arabia because he knows that, as long as he is delivering his game, you can always count on him to bring what he does best."

Kante's role in the squad

Giroud expects Kante to start on the bench, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot likely to be the first-choice midfield pairing. They started together in France's friendly against Northern Ireland last week, and Giroud believes that midfield will also start the tournament opener against Senegal on Tuesday. However, he stressed that France cannot rely on just two midfielders throughout the World Cup, especially with four attacking players—Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Kylian Mbappe—likely to play ahead of them.

"You need balance between attack and defence, and N'Golo always brings that to every team he plays in. Even if Deschamps does not play him from the start, he will be happy and he will help in every game anyway. In some of them we will really need him," Giroud said.

Energy and mentality

Giroud praised Kante's unique ability to cover multiple roles on the pitch. "When I played with him, for club or country, I used to say we played with 12 men because he can do two jobs—and he has not changed there. I was always glad when he played alongside me, for the same reasons I am glad he is in the squad again now. His energy is incredible, and his mentality is contagious. When you see him running everywhere, it gives you some strength to do the same, no matter how tired your legs are."

He highlighted Kante's importance in defensive situations, recalling the 2018 World Cup where France were only behind for nine minutes across the entire tournament—in the last 16 against Argentina. "We had a strong balance then, with Paul Pogba and N'Golo at the base of our midfield. Blaise Matuidi would drop back too, along with Antoine Griezmann and myself, when we needed to. I especially remember that happening in the semi-final against Belgium, when we went ahead at the start of the second half. They had a really talented team and we had to just defend."

Giroud believes Kante will be vital if France need to protect a lead or adopt a defensive approach against strong opponents. "This time, if France at some point play against a strong team and Deschamps adopts a more defensive position, or if we need to keep the result when we are ahead, then I am sure N'Golo will play his part. I would also not be surprised if, in the later stages of this competition, he is starting games for us."

Off-field influence

Beyond his on-field contributions, Giroud noted Kante's positive impact on squad morale. "There is another reason Deschamps has selected N'Golo. In any squad, he is like the mascot, you know? Everyone loves him, because he is such a nice guy."