Olivier Giroud wants you to know something about N’Golo Kante: the man is basically impossible to replace. The French striker, himself a 2018 World Cup winner, has gone on record praising his longtime international teammate’s mentality, work ethic, and sheer gravitational pull on the dressing room as France gears up for the 2026 World Cup.
Kante is roughly 35 years old. He plays his club football in Saudi Arabia. And yet, according to Giroud, he remains one of the most important figures in Didier Deschamps’ squad.
The engine that keeps running
Giroud described Kante’s mentality as “contagious,” which is the polite way of saying the midfielder makes everyone around him work harder simply by existing.
Kante was central to France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, the tireless midfield presence who covered every blade of grass while more glamorous teammates grabbed the headlines.
