Antoine Griezmann Missing as Varane Exits France's 2026 Squad

antoine griezmann is part of the France core that will head into the 2026 World Cup without Raphael Varane, who retired from professional soccer in September 2024 after a serious knee injury. Varane’s absence is a direct result of that retirement, ending a France career that ran through the 2018 World Cup title.

Varane’s 93 France appearances

Varane made 93 appearances for France before stepping away from international soccer in February 2023, shortly after the team lost to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. He said the physical and mental demands of elite soccer played a significant role in that decision.

He had already been a central part of France’s defense for more than a decade, alongside Hugo Lloris, Antoine Griezmann, and Paul Pogba. That group helped shape the national team through a long run that included the 2018 World Cup win.

Como ended the comeback

Varane tried to extend his career in the summer of 2024 after leaving Manchester United, signing for Serie A side Como. Minutes into his competitive debut, he suffered a serious knee injury.

That injury ended the comeback before it really began. Varane retired completely from professional soccer in September 2024 at age 31, and later moved into a non-playing role at Como.

France moves on without Varane

France now enters the 2026 World Cup without one of the defenders who anchored its back line for years. The squad also includes Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise, while Didier Deschamps had been preparing a side that conceded only four goals during qualifying.

The immediate reality for France is simpler than the storyline around it: Varane is unavailable because his playing career is over. For supporters tracking the squad, the absence is permanent, not tactical, and it closes the door on one of the mainstays from France’s previous title run.