With them, "we don't talk about age"... The formula made legendary by Kylian Mbappé fits well with the two heroes of the evening of the France team.

Lloris, 35, and Giroud, 36 years old, have accumulated 259 selections, some experience of these major events and a hell of a record.

Before hoping to add a second world trophy, the goalkeeper and the center forward were the strong men of the round of 16 at the al-Thumama stadium, to get the Blues out of the Polish trap.

Captain Lloris celebrated his 142nd selection on Sunday, Lilian Thuram's record equaled, with a decisive save in the 38th minute in front of Piotr Zielinski, when France suffered the most.

52 goals and 142 caps

And striker Giroud unlocked the tricolor counter, with a sudden call in the opposing sixteen meters, well read by Kylian Mbappé, and a millimeter cross shot.

Hugo Lloris on December 4, 2022 in Doha © Odd ANDERSEN / AFP

The AC Milan player was able to exult: this 52nd goal, a record for the French team ahead of Thierry Henry, he had been waiting for for years.

The more the weeks passed, the more his status wavered: far from being certain of being on the trip to Qatar in recent months, "Olive" hunkered down, like a phoenix, before becoming indispensable in the wake of the package of Karim Benzema.

For Lloris and Giroud, the evening figures nevertheless masked some shortcomings: poorly controlled reminders from the Tottenham player, and a monumental failure from the Milanese (29th), ultimately without regret because Ousmane Dembélé was offside on the action.

But in the history books, these small setbacks will have no place, unlike records.

"I am very honored by these figures, very proud, even if at the dawn of a round of 16 World Cup, it obviously remains secondary", humbly estimated Lloris on the eve of the meeting.

"It's something that I will appreciate more once the competition is over, hoping that it will end for the best," he added.

Sunday, this perfectionist may only regret having advanced too quickly in front of his goal line on the penalty of Robert Lewandowski, stopped, but given to withdraw … and finally scored.

friends in life

For Giroud, Henry's mark was on his mind.

"It's a goal that I kept in the back of my mind but it doesn't inhibit me on the pitch," warned the former Arsenal player after his double against Australia (4-1) at the start. of Mondial.

Olivier Giroud on December 4, 2022 in Doha © Odd ANDERSEN / AFP

Freed by this much sought-after feat, Giroud can take over as a bonus.

He was quick to pull off a magnificent acrobatic return in the second half on Sunday, a goal finally canceled for a foul by Raphaël Varane in the area (57th).

It is also he who launches the action of the second goal, with precise control, an action concluded by Mbappé just before the N.9 is replaced, and warmly congratulated by Didier Deschamps.

Wink of fate, the Giroud-Lloris axis made the "One" precisely against Poland, also carried by an experienced goalkeeper-attacker duo, Wojciech Szczesny and Robert Lewandowski... But these returned to the home.

For the two French thirtysomethings, friends in life and from the same generation, reaching their record the same evening is also a symbol that they will be able to remember for a long time, while they are undoubtedly playing their last World Cup.

Hugo Lloris on December 4, 2022 in Doha © Odd ANDERSEN / AFP

But Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud first have a mission to complete: in Qatar each additional match by Lloris and each goal in addition to Giroud will be so many reasons to believe in a double...

© 2022 AFP