PARIS, Feb 2 — France centre-back Raphael Varane, a World Cup winner in 2018 and runner-up last year, announced today his retirement from international duty at the age of 29.

"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. — AFP