Olivier Giroud jokingly called out Conor McGregor, argued with Kylian Mbappe, hit back at Karim Benzema’s ‘go-kart’ jibe but now France’s top scorer can win the Blues’ second World Cup

Olivier Giroud has the chance to cement his legacy as the most underrated striker of his generation by propelling France to a second consecutive World Cup.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal striker proves age is just a number as the leading figure in a Blues attack that reached the final in Qatar.

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The 36-year-old leads the line for France at the World Cup where he became his country’s top scorer with 53 goals.

In the Middle East, Giroud has scored four goals in five games, just one behind teammate Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.

The pair proved a heavenly game at the World Cup, with a photo of their passionate embrace after a last-16 win over Poland going viral.

And it’s a stunning turnaround considering that just over a year ago, the duo were at each other’s throats in very different ways.

After scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Bulgaria on the eve of Euro 2020, Giroud aimed a thinly veiled dig at Mbappe as he expressed his disappointment at not receiving enough passes from his teammates.

Mbappe was quick to respond, admitting he would have preferred Giroud to keep his thoughts in-house rather than talking to the media.

“Everyone knows what happened,” Mbappe told L’Equipe. “It’s true that I was a little affected.

“It’s more that he said it publicly than the fact that he said it. I saw him in the dressing room and he didn’t say anything to me. But we’re not going to do it all. a dish. “

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Giroud and Mbappe’s form together this World Cup, however, proved that the water was firmly under the bridge.

Giroud’s fourth of the tournament was the goal that broke England’s hearts and it appeared his manager, Didier Deschamps, was actually seconds away from replacing the AC Milan star.

But even harder to believe that as the World Cup approached, he was firmly behind Karim Benzema in the pecking order.

Giroud was second fiddle to the reigning Ballon d’Or holder, and the options of bringing in the much younger attacking pair Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram meant he would have been dropped for minutes the entire time. .

Still, Benzema was ruled out with injury on the eve of the Doha tournament, and Mbappe’s preference to play on the left has opened the door for Giroud to return.

And the latter ensured France didn’t miss out on Benzema – which will be all the sweeter given their history together.

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Speaking on social media in 2020, Real Madrid star Benzema was asked how he rated fellow centre-forward Giroud.

He said, “It won’t take long. You don’t confuse F1 with karting. And I’m nice. Then… and I know I’m F1.

Giroud expertly responded to this criticism by saying, “What am I, a go-kart?” A world champion kart.

It was partly this humor that made the World Cup winner a cult figure in London while playing for both Arsenal and Chelsea.

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And it was during his time with the Gunners when Giroud’s trademark spirit was first noticed by fans as he called out UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

The striker was asked by fellow countryman Laurent Koscielny how long he would last in a fight with the then featherweight champion.

Giroud replied jokingly: “Maybe 10 seconds?

“I’ve never been in a cage to fight the UFC. It would be nice to give it a try. So, McGregor, anytime?…OK, I’m dead.