France captain Hugo Lloris (35) has said that he is “proud” to equal Lilian Thuram’s record of 142 appearances for Les Bleus. Currently on 141 caps, the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper will make history should he feature against Poland on Sunday.
But for a late injury, Lloris is set to equal the France record against Poland when the sides meet in the World Cup round of 16. The record would have already been equaled had he not been rested, like many in the squad, for Les Bleus final group game against Tunisia.
Thuram’s final appearance for France came in 2008, and 14 years later, his record looks set to be matched. It was in the same year that a 21-year-old Lloris made his debut for the national team. He has since been an ever-present in the side. Speaking about the achievement in a pre-match press conference, transcribed by RMC Sport, Lloris said, “It isn’t for nothing! I am very honoured, very proud. Even if on the dawn of a round of 16 World Cup tie the record is secondary. The competition is more important than everything. I am going to put all of my energy into tomorrow’s match. I will enjoy the record more once the competition is finished.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
