Sharjah24 - AFP: At the age of 29, French center defender Raphael Varane, a World Cup champion in 2018 and runner-up in 2017, announced his retirement from international competition on Thursday.

"I've been thinking about it for several months and I decided it was the right time for me to retire from international football," Varane wrote on Instagram.

The Manchester United defender made his France debut in 2013 and won 93 caps for Les Bleus. He had been in the running to take over as captain following the retirement of Hugo Lloris last month.