Olivier Giroud scores again and makes it 16 consecutive seasons in Europe's top five leagues

23.08.26 FT Ligue 1 France

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Olivier Giroud has once again answered the call to kick off his season with Lille. Scoring against Angers, the Frenchman netted his first goal of the campaign and continues his remarkable streak of longevity.

On the opening day of Ligue 1, Olivier Giroud wasted no time making his presence felt. Leading the line for Lille, the French striker opened the scoring in the 11th minute against Angers with a long-range strike that caught Anthony Lopes off guard. Lille ultimately secured a 2-0 victory at the Raymond-Kopa stadium.

At 39 years and 327 days, Giroud has become the fifth-oldest goalscorer in Ligue 1 history since the 1947-1948 season. More impressively, this goal marks his 16th different season scoring in one of Europe's top five leagues. Among active players, only Luka Modrić (18), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (17), and Danny Welbeck (17) have a higher tally.

Longevity built on consistency

This latest achievement extends an extraordinary career. Discovered at Tours before making his mark with Montpellier, Giroud went on to leave a legacy at Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan, before joining Los Angeles FC and now Lille.

With Montpellier, he notably finished as Ligue 1's top scorer in the 2011-2012 season with 21 goals, helping the club secure its first-ever French championship. In England, he also won the Premier League with Chelsea after collecting several trophies with Arsenal.

His return to France is far from a retirement tour. Last season, he once again scored at least five goals in the top five leagues, joining Jamie Vardy as one of the few players aged 39 or older to reach that mark.

Surpassed by Mbappé, but still in the history books

With the French national team, Giroud remains a reference point. Long the all-time leading scorer for Les Bleus with 57 goals, he was overtaken in June 2026 by Kylian Mbappé, who netted a brace against Senegal at the World Cup to reach 58 goals.

But at Lille, his story is far from over. Approaching 40, Giroud has just shown once again that he’s not ready to hang up his boots yet.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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