Olivier Giroud is making a sensational return to French football, signing a one-year deal with Ligue 1 side Lille on Tuesday. The 38-year-old striker, France’s all-time leading scorer, is back home after leaving Major League Soccer’s LAFC last week.
Giroud’s last appearance in the French top flight was with Montpellier, where he won the Ligue 1 title in the 2011-12 season before moving to the English Premier League to join Arsenal.
“I’m very happy and excited to be back in France, home,” Giroud said in a statement. “It made perfect sense to return to Ligue 1, 13 years after leaving it. I’ve always considered Lille a top French club. It’s a young and talented squad, which needs experienced players like me, so I’ll also be there in that role.”
During his six seasons with Arsenal, Giroud scored over 100 goals for the Gunners before transferring to rivals Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Champions League title in 2021.
He then spent three seasons in Italy with AC Milan, lifting the Serie A trophy in 2022, before making a move to MLS. On the international stage, Giroud retired from the France national team last year as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals in 137 appearances. He played a pivotal role in helping Les Bleus win the FIFA World Cup in 2018.
