Olivier Giroud joins Lille!
Thirteen years after winning Ligue 1 McDonald's with Montpellier HSC, Olivier Giroud is back in the French top flight with LOSC Lille. The French national team's all-time top-scorer, he joins Les Dogues after a brief spell in Major League Soccer with LAFC.
From Humble beginnings...
Born in Chambery, in the eastern region of Savoy, Giroud was far from a prodigal presence as a young player, playing for local club Grenoble in the second tier. Even at that level, he struggled to impose himself, and wasn't a regular starter until he joined third-tier Istres on loan in 2007/8. Netting thirteen times there, his play caught the notice of another second division side, Tours. Making the move to the Val de Loire side, he scored thirty goals in two seasons, and made the move to Ligue 1 in 2010, signing for Montpellier HSC.
His success continued there, as he scored an incredible 21 goals in the 2011/12 season, helping La Paillade to a most unlikely Ligue 1 title. He also earned his first caps for the French national team, but was soon on the move, joining Arsenal in 2012, where he would go on to score more than 100 goals across all competitions for the Gunners.
The legend Giroud signs for Lille! 🇫🇷✨ pic.twitter.com/dCKhGM3P6B
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) July 1, 2025
...to a world title!
While success on a club level eluded Giroud after joining Arsenal, save three FA Cups, he would soon experience plenty of it after joining Chelsea in the winter window in 2018, both for the Blues and his country. In addition to taking home the FA Cup with his new club that season, he would go on to play a key role for France in the 2018 World Cup, helping his country to its first title in 20 years, building on the success they'd had the previous summer in reaching the final of the European Championships.
After parts of four seasons with Chelsea, he moved to Italy, joining AC Milan, where he formed part of a potent attack, reaching double figures in goals in each of his three seasons there. He also won a Serie A title and helped the club reach the semifinals of the Champions League, before seemingly ending his European career by moving to the United States in the summer of 2024. After a fitful spell with LAFC, he is now back at Europe's top table with an ambitious Lille side who will be looking to build on their strong recent campaigns in the Conference League and Champions League.
Speaking to club website, Giroud expressed his satisfaction with joining a team with an illustrious history and to have a chance to play in Europe again, having won the Champions League and Europa League during his spell with Chelsea. Said the striker, "I'm very happy and excited to be back in France, at home. When Olivier Létang called me to offer me this challenge, it was crystal clear to me. It made perfect sense to return to Ligue 1 thirteen years after leaving it. I've always considered LOSC a top French club. I know a lot of former Lille players, whether it's Eden, Yo Cabaye, Debuch', Rio, Ben' Pavard... They all have great memories of the club, with good values. The team had a great season last season and will be playing in the Europa League."
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