France kicked off their UEFA Nations League fixtures with a clinical victory over Austria in the Stade de France. Les Bleus registered a 2-0 win as the Paris Saint Germain Striker Kylian Mbappe scored a stunning goal from a through ball by Olivier Giroud. But the victory was sealed by a classic Giroud goal as he became France’s oldest goal scorer.
The AC Milan forward made an accurate run into the middle of the box and pounced on a curling cross by Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann from the right wing. The 35-year-old leapt up and put the ball at the back of the net with pinpoint precision.
With this 65th-minute header, Giroud scored his 49th goal which is two goals off the top scorer record held by legendary Arsenal forward Thierry Henry for France. Watch the goal here:
After the match, France head coach Didier Deschamps talked about Giroud’s role in the team and his 49th goal. He said, "Oliver deserves it, I am very happy for him. He had difficult periods with his club but always performed well with us. If I call him, it's so he can score goals. And he had many opportunities."
He then addressed the team’s performance as he praised players for their mindset in this victory. "We did what we had to do," the 1998 world champion said. "Our intentions were good, everyone defended a lot, there are a lot of positives. The mindset was good, it was a very good performanc e."