Olivier Giroud Bio
Olivier Jonathan Giroud is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Lille. Standing 1.93 m tall, he has built a long career across France, England, Italy, and the United States, becoming one of the most decorated French forwards of his generation. He is the all-time top scorer for the France national team and a 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.
Born in Chambéry and raised in the Alpine village of Froges, Giroud began playing organised football at Olympique Club de Froges before joining the Grenoble academy. After a steady rise through French football with Grenoble, Istres, Tours, and Montpellier, he moved to the Premier League with Arsenal in 2012, where he became a fan favourite and a three-time FA Cup winner. He later won trophies with Chelsea and AC Milan before spending a season with Los Angeles FC and returning to France with Lille in 2025.
Early Life and Background
Olivier Jonathan Giroud was born on 30 September 1986 in Chambéry, in the Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, and was raised in the nearby village of Froges, close to Grenoble. He is of Italian descent through both of his grandmothers. Giroud grew up immersed in sport in a working-class environment, and his older brother Romain later played in the Auxerre academy before becoming a nutritionist.
After completing his baccalaureate in economics and social sciences, Giroud studied for two years at Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, following a degree in science and techniques of physical and sports activities. Education sat alongside his footballing development, providing a balance that he has often credited for his maturity as a professional.
Giroud began playing organised football with hometown club Olympique Club de Froges, where he spent six years in the youth ranks. At the age of 13, he joined the professional academy of Grenoble, setting him on a clear path toward a senior career in French football.
Path to Soccer
Giroud’s development followed a patient route through the lower divisions of French football. After progressing through Grenoble’s youth ranks, he was promoted to the reserve team for the 2005-06 season and scored 15 goals in 15 matches, earning promotion to the senior squad. He made his professional debut in March 2006, and a year later he was sent on loan to Istres in the third tier, where he scored 14 goals in a single campaign.
A move to Ligue 2 side Tours in 2008 allowed Giroud to establish himself as a regular starter. In 2009-10, he finished as the league’s top scorer with 21 goals and was named the UNFP Ligue 2 Player of the Year, drawing the attention of top-flight clubs.
In January 2010, Giroud signed with Ligue 1 side Montpellier for a then-club-record fee of €2 million, though he was loaned back to Tours for the remainder of the season. The step up to Ligue 1 marked his transition to elite-level football and laid the foundation for the title-winning campaign that followed.
Olivier Giroud Career
Early Career (2005-2010)
Giroud’s early professional years were spent largely in France’s second tier. After breaking through with Grenoble, he was deemed surplus to requirements by manager Mehmed Baždarević and moved on. His loan to Istres sharpened his instincts in front of goal, and his prolific form at Tours earned him a national reputation as one of Ligue 2’s most dangerous finishers.
His 24-goal season in 2009-10, split between Tours and Montpellier, included a four-goal performance against Arles-Avignon and underlined his growing consistency. Recognition arrived in the form of the Ligue 2 Player of the Year award and a place in the league’s Team of the Year, confirming his readiness for top-flight football.
Montpellier Breakthrough (2010-2012)
Giroud officially joined Montpellier in July 2010 and made an immediate impact, scoring on his European debut in the UEFA Europa League and notching his first Ligue 1 goal against Valenciennes in August. He finished his first season as the club’s top scorer, helping Montpellier reach the Coupe de la Ligue final.
The 2011-12 campaign was a career-defining one. Giroud scored 21 league goals and provided 9 assists, finishing as the joint top scorer in Ligue 1 and the recognised top scorer by the Ligue de Football Professionnel on open-play goals. His goals powered Montpellier to their first Ligue 1 title in club history, confirmed on the final day of the season against Auxerre. French media affectionately dubbed him le buteur de charme, the charm striker, in tribute to his finishing and personality.
Arsenal Breakthrough (2012-2018)
Arsenal signed Giroud in June 2012 for a fee reported around £9.6 million, handing him the number 12 shirt. He made his Premier League debut in August 2012 and quickly became a key figure, scoring on his League Cup debut and netting his first Premier League goal against West Ham United in October. His first season brought 17 goals and 11 assists across 47 appearances.
Giroud played a central role in ending Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought, scoring in the 2014 FA Cup final victory over Hull City. He won three FA Cups in total with Arsenal and reached 100 goals for the club in a 2017 Europa League match against BATE Borisov. One of his most famous moments in an Arsenal shirt came on 1 January 2017, when a scorpion-kick volley against Crystal Palace earned him the FIFA Puskás Award for goal of the year.
Chelsea Era (2018-2021)
In January 2018, Giroud joined Chelsea on an 18-month contract. He initially struggled for regular starts, but his impact in cup competitions was decisive. He set a new record for most goals by a French player in a single European season with 11 goals in 2018-19, helping Chelsea win the UEFA Europa League and scoring in the final against his former club Arsenal.
Across his time at Stamford Bridge, Giroud added an FA Cup winner’s medal and was part of the Chelsea squad that won the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League. He also became the oldest player in Champions League history to score four goals in a match with a haul against Sevilla in December 2020, and the oldest player to score in six successive Premier League starts at the age of 34.
AC Milan Era (2021-2024)
Giroud signed permanently for AC Milan in July 2021 and quickly became an important figure in attack. He ended his first Serie A season with 11 league goals, including the winner against Sassuolo that sealed Milan’s first Scudetto in 11 years. At 35 years and 234 days, he became the oldest player to reach double figures in goals in a debut Serie A season.
Across three seasons with Milan, Giroud scored 49 goals. He struck a near-post header to end a seven-match winless run, scored in the Champions League quarter-final victory over Napoli that sent Milan to the semi-finals, and famously played as an emergency goalkeeper against Genoa in October 2023, making a critical late save. He announced his departure in May 2024, scoring in his final match against Salernitana.
Los Angeles FC Era (2024-2025)
In May 2024, Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC announced that Giroud would join in July, reuniting him with French teammate Hugo Lloris. He made his debut in the Leagues Cup in August 2024 and scored his first goal for the club in the Leagues Cup final against Columbus Crew. He later opened the scoring in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup final victory over Sporting Kansas City.
Giroud’s league form came in April 2025, when he scored against the Portland Timbers to become the oldest European to find the net in MLS. In June 2025, Los Angeles FC announced the mutual termination of his contract, bringing his time in MLS to an end after 38 appearances and five goals.
Lille Era (2025-Present)
On 1 July 2025, Giroud signed a one-year contract with Ligue 1 club Lille, returning to French football at the age of 38. Wearing the number 9 shirt previously worn by Jonathan David, he spoke of his desire to act as a leader and a link between staff and the club’s young players. The agreement was reported to be worth around €1.5 million gross per year, with an additional year in option.
Giroud opened his Lille account on 17 August 2025 in a 3-3 draw with Brest, becoming Lille’s oldest ever goalscorer in the process. A month later, he scored his first European goal for the club against Norwegian side Brann in the UEFA Europa League, becoming the oldest French goalscorer in a UEFA club competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
Giroud has been described throughout his career as a classic target man, valued for his aerial ability, hold-up play, and capacity to link the game with runners ahead of him. Capable of operating as a lone striker, a second striker, or even a false 9, his game is built on physical strength, intelligent movement off the ball, and reliable finishing. He is widely regarded as one of the most underrated strikers of his era.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights include a scorpion-kick goal against Crystal Palace that won the FIFA Puskás Award, becoming the oldest player in Champions League history to score four goals in a match at Sevilla, and scoring the winner against Sassuolo that sealed AC Milan’s 2021-22 Serie A title. In 2022, he became France’s all-time top scorer, surpassing Thierry Henry’s record with a goal against Poland at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Olivier Giroud Career Wins
Across two decades as a professional, Giroud has collected major honours in France, England, Italy, and on the international stage, with the 2018 FIFA World Cup crowning a trophy-laden resume. He has consistently delivered at decisive moments, from cup finals to league-deciding fixtures.
Major Honours
At club level, Giroud has won the Ligue 1 title with Montpellier, three FA Cups and an FA Community Shield with Arsenal, the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Europa League with Chelsea, the Serie A title with AC Milan, and the U.S. Open Cup with Los Angeles FC. With France, he has won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League, and was runner-up at UEFA Euro 2016, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2024.
Individual Awards
Among his individual accolades are the UNFP Ligue 2 Player of the Year in 2010, the Ligue 1 top scorer award in 2011-12, the FIFA Puskás Award for 2017, the Premier League Player of the Month for March 2015, and the Bronze Boot at both Euro 2016 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Olivier Giroud Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Giroud’s older brother, Romain, also trained as a footballer at the Auxerre academy and represented France at under-15 and under-17 level, before stepping away from the professional game to study nutrition. The brothers share an Italian heritage through both of their grandmothers, a family detail Giroud has spoken about publicly.
Personal Life
Giroud has been married to his wife Jennifer since 2011, and the couple have four children. He is a devout Christian and has a tattoo on his right arm featuring a Latin inscription from Psalm 23. Outside of football, he has worked with Hugo Boss as the face of its Boss Bottled fragrance and has been sponsored by Puma since 2009.
2025 Season Performance
Giroud’s 2025 has been defined by a return to Ligue 1 with Lille at the age of 38. After ending his spell with Los Angeles FC in late June, he signed a one-year contract with the French club and was immediately installed as a senior figure in a young squad preparing for a Europa League campaign. He has framed his role as that of a leader on and off the pitch, looking to bridge the club’s staff and emerging players.
On the field, Giroud opened his Lille account in the opening weeks of the season with a goal against Brest, and he quickly added his first European strike in the Europa League league phase against Brann. Both goals set new age-related records for the club and for French players in UEFA competition, underlining his enduring ability to contribute at the highest level.
With the 2025-26 season still unfolding, Giroud’s campaign is centred on leadership, fitness management, and key contributions in tight matches. Lille are competing domestically and in Europe, and the veteran striker’s experience is expected to be central to their ambitions through the spring of 2026.