Raphael Varane driving France’s ‘historical soldiers’

Defender drawing on experience with assurance and leadership during team’s run to World Cup semi-finals

SOLDIERS: France's forward Olivier Giroud celebrates scoring his team's second goal with defender Raphael Varane during the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final against England at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha. Pic: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

It was a neat description. As Raphael Varane sat down to preview the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday against Morocco, it was put to him that he was a “historical soldier” for France, for Didier Deschamps, too. He, and three others — the captain, Hugo Lloris, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud.

Varane was very nearly not at this World Cup, one step from another final, two from another winner’s medal. Injured for Manchester United at Chelsea on 22 October, it had been touch and go, the 29-year-old initially fearing the worst.