- Meta unveils star-studded AI assistants
- DRC leader calls for sanctions on Rwanda over rebel support
- Mud, loss and despair after Polish floods
- England skipper Stokes on track for Pakistan tour
- UN chief warns of 'rising tide of misery' from swelling seas
- Israeli troops on alert to go into Lebanon
- Russian strikes on eastern Ukraine city kill two, wound 19
- Workers 'disappointed' as Volkswagen remains vague on turnaround plan
- Biden warns 'all-out war' possible in Middle East
- Ex-Real Madrid defender and World Cup winner Varane retires
- Nuking a huge asteroid could save Earth, lab experiment suggests
- Six hurt in Ecuador as firefighters battle blazes choking capital
- Florida girds for arrival of Helene as powerful hurricane
- German prosecutors charge three in Schumacher blackmail case
- Restoring nature, 'adaptation' helped limit Storm Boris impact
- Son says Spurs team-mate Bentancur 'almost cried' over alleged racial slur
- French minister vows to 'protect the French' after student rape and murder
- Harris and Trump target economy in close US election battle
- Zelensky alleges Russia plot on nuclear plants in defiant UN address
- 'Worst crisis': German Greens leaders quit after election losses
- Israel puts troops on alert for entry into Lebanon
- 'The UN has betrayed us': Israeli ambassador
- US new home sales slow slightly in August
- UN chief says sea level rise threatens 'rising tide of misery'
- Global stocks mixed after fresh China stimulus
- US-China progress sparks hope for COP29, says Azerbaijan
- Zelensky says Russia planning attacks on Ukraine nuclear plants
- Film legend Bardot, nearing 90, enjoys her 'silent solitude'
- Walking on the Moon in Cologne: Europe's lunar life simulator
- Google files EU complaint over Microsoft cloud services
- Finnish zoo to return pandas to China early
- At last! China's Zhang Shuai ends 24-match losing streak
- Global stocks trade mixed tracking China stimulus
- EU backs plan to downgrade wolf protection status
- Jacks says new-look England need time to master ODIs
- Madrid's Mbappe suffers thigh injury before Atletico derby
- Russian MPs back adoption ban on countries allowing gender reassignment
- France minister vows new immigration 'rules' after student murder
- EU states back plan to downgrade wolf protection status
- Unions vow 'bitter resistance' as Volkswagen talks begin
- Naomi Osaka wants 'no regrets' after hiring Serena's former coach
- Lady Gaga plants lipstick smile on 'Mona Lisa' in Louvre clip
- Man City confirm Rodri knee ligament injury
- Hezbollah's Fadi rockets: More power, little precision
- Naomi Osaka wants 'no regrets' after teaming up with Mouratoglou
- New Zealand flanker 'Braveheart' Sititi relishes his 'crazy' rise
- OECD calls for higher property taxes to fight debt
- Environmentalists smear Finland's parliament in red paint
- World Cup winner Varane retires
- Britain's Rightmove rejects higher £6.1-bn Murdoch bid
RBGPF | -1.04% | 59.48 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.2% | 25.05 | $ | |
NGG | 0.02% | 70.125 | $ | |
SCS | -1.94% | 12.87 | $ | |
BCC | -2.57% | 138.23 | $ | |
BCE | -0.64% | 34.905 | $ | |
RELX | -0.19% | 48.44 | $ | |
RIO | 0.49% | 67.75 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.44% | 25.01 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0% | 7.07 | $ | |
GSK | -0.47% | 40.79 | $ | |
AZN | 0.79% | 77.48 | $ | |
JRI | -0.3% | 13.38 | $ | |
BP | -3.21% | 31.81 | $ | |
VOD | 0.15% | 10.105 | $ | |
BTI | -0.24% | 38.01 | $ |
Ex-Real Madrid defender and World Cup winner Varane retires
France World Cup winner Raphael Varane on Wednesday announced his retirement from football at the age of 31, adding that he will remain at Como in a non-playing capacity.
Former Real Madrid and Manchester United centre-back Varane had joined the Italian club for this season but was then excluded from their Serie A squad having suffered a knee injury in August.
"A new life begins off the pitch," Varane said on social media.
"I will remain with Como. Just without using my boots and shin pads. Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon."
Varane came through the academy at French club Lens before joining Madrid as an 18-year-old in 2011.
He claimed the first of his three La Liga titles in his maiden season in the Spanish capital.
In 2014 he secured the first of his four Champions League crowns, winning a league and European double three years later.
Varane joined United in 2021, lifting the League Cup and FA Cup with the English club, but his time at Old Trafford was disrupted by injuries.
He left United at the end of last season to move to Cesc Fabregas' newly-promoted Como, playing just one Coppa Italia match, when he sustained a knee injury.
"From Lens to Madrid to Manchester, and playing for our national team," Varane said.
"I have defended every badge with everything I have, and loved every minute of the journey."
Varane made his France debut in 2013 with the pinnacle of his international career coming at the 2018 World Cup, where Les Bleus beat Croatia 4-2 in the final.
He finished his France career with 93 caps, making his last appearance in the 2022 World Cup final defeat by Argentina on penalties.
"I have won more than I could have even dreamed of," Varane said.
"But beyond the accolades and trophies, I am proud that no matter what, I have stuck to my principles of being sincere and have tried to leave everywhere better than I found it."
Various former team-mates paid tribute to Varane, including United's Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
"It was a pleasure for all of us," Fernandes said on Instagram.
After retiring from international football at just 29, Varane cited the extreme physical and mental pressures put upon top players.
He has also spoken out about concerns regarding the impact concussions suffered by players could have in later life.
H.E.Young--AMWN