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The 40-year-old former Marseille and Crystal Palace custodian’s contract with Ligue 1 side Rennes ran out last July.
Steve Mandanda. (X)
Former France goalkeeper and FIFA 2018 World Cup winner, Steve Mandanda, called time on his career as he announced his retirement on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old former Marseille and Crystal Palace custodian’s contract with Ligue 1 side Rennes expired last July.
“I needed to take my time to accept it, because it’s not easy, but yes, I’m stopping,” Mandanda said.
“I had a long period of reflection because I had a lot of calls but I said no every time,” he added.
Born in Kinshasa, Mandanda moved to France as a child, residing in Normandy with his family before beginning his football career in Ligue 2 with Le Havre.
His breakthrough occurred during his first season with Marseille in 2007-2008.
Mandanda spent a total of 14 seasons with the southern French side, winning six trophies, including the Ligue 1 title in 2010 under Didier Deschamps, who later became the France coach.
After earning his first French cap in May 2008 under Raymond Domenech, Mandanda secured his position as a starter before losing it to Hugo Lloris in 2009.
In 2016, he moved to England to join Crystal Palace but failed to make a significant impact, returning to Marseille the following year, where he played for five seasons before transferring to Rennes.
Mandanda remained Lloris’ backup for many years, participating under Deschamps in the Euro 2016 final on home soil, the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, and was part of the squad that won the second world title in 2018 in Russia.
He announced his retirement from international football in January 2023, having represented France 35 times.
September 11, 2025, 07:42 is
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