FOUR FROM FRANCE
The acquisition of Giroud gives LAFC four players from France – three of whom have joined the roster in the last five months.
Name - Hometown
Denis Bouanga - Le Mans
Maxime Chanot - Nancy
Olivier Giroud - Chambéry
Hugo Lloris - Nice
The only country with more players on LAFC’s first-team roster is the United States (five players – all from California: Aaron Long, Ryan Hollingshead, Erik Dueñas, Nathan Ordaz, Abraham Romero). LAFC boasts four players from Colombia (Ángel, Atuesta, Murillo, Segura), two from Germany (Müller, Tillman), and two from Spain (Palencia, Sánchez).
LES BLEUS
Giroud played in all seven matches for the French squad that won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he scored four goals, including the matchwinner in the quarterfinals against England, as France advanced again to the final. Both of those France squads were captained by Giroud’s longtime friend, LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Giroud has scored more goals for Les Bleus than any player in the storied history of the team. His 57 goals rank higher than Thierry Henry (51), Kylian Mbappe (46), and Antoine Griezmann (44). Giroud passed Henry in Dec. 2022 by scoring against Poland in a World Cup Round-of-16 match.
PULISIC’S PAL
Giroud formed a friendship and on-field partnership with U.S. Mens National Team star Christian Pulisic when they played together at Chelsea from 2019 to 2021. The two have continued that bond during their time together at AC Milan.
USA Today reports that “Giroud has assisted two of Pulisic’s 15 goals with Milan this season, while Pulisic has provided the assist on three of Giroud’s 16 goals,” including what could be Giroud’s final tally for Milan (on May 5 against Genoa).
INKED
Like Pulisic, Giroud has multiple tattoos, including one on his right arm that depicts Psalm 23 written in Latin: "Dominus regit me et nihil mihi deerit" ("The Lord is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing”). The winged tattoo on Giroud’s upper back, he says, was inspired by a similar on he saw on David Beckham.
FAMILY GUY
Giroud and his wife Jennifer were married in 2011 and have four children: Jade, Evan, Aaron, and Aria.
HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE
Giroud appeared as a voice actor in the French-dubbed version of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), playing the Green Goblin. The film is known as Spiderman: New Generation in France.
(fast forward to 1:05 for Giroud's cameo)
EMERGENCY KEEPER
Last October, after AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off in stoppage time of a hectic match against Genoa, Giroud put on Maignan's No. 16 goalkeeping jersey (while wearing his own mismatched No. 9 shorts) and kept a clean sheet – even making a daring save before the final whistle to preserve a 1-0 win. The performance earned Giroud a place on the Serie A Best XI that week.
THE PHOENIX
Giroud’s teammates at his first professional club, Grenoble, nicknamed him “The Phoenix.” The nickname has resurfaced occasionally during Giroud’s career in Europe’s top leagues. As Giroud once told French TV channel M6: “It is a compliment because it means that no matter the circumstances, I don't give up. When I am called upon, the most important thing is to get the job done.”
WORLDIE
On New Year’s Day 2017, Giroud scored on a one-footed scorpion kick for Arsenal against Crystal Palace, a goal that won the 2017 Puskás Award, given by FIFA to the player who scores the best goal of each calendar year.
