Giroud five goals away from Gignac in race for France's all-time top scorers

André-Pierre Gignac hung up his boots on May 31, 2025, at age 40, following a Champions Cup final in North America lost by Tigres against Toluca (1-1, 5-6 on penalties). With 366 goals in his professional career, he takes fourth place among France’s all-time leading scorers — but his former France teammate Olivier Giroud is just five goals behind.

In eleven seasons wearing the Tigres de Monterrey shirt, Gignac scored 222 goals in 444 matches across all competitions, after scoring 77 in five years at OM. This record earned him five Mexican championship titles and a Ligue des champions de la Concacaf. The northern club also reached the Copa Libertadores final, a competition that then included Mexican clubs.

In the French scorers ranking, Gignac finds himself behind Karim Benzema (524 goals), Kylian Mbappé (445) and Thierry Henry (411). Roger Courtois, centre-forward at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in the 1930s-40s, completes the top 5 with 364 goals.

It is precisely that fifth place that Giroud currently occupies. The LOSC striker brought his total to 361 goals on Saturday by converting a penalty into the top corner against Brest (1-1). At 40 years old himself, he is playing his final season and could surpass Gignac by May.

The statistical rivalry contrasts with an almost non-existent partnership on the pitch: the two men have 17 caps together for France, but played together only once, in a 0-0 draw in Georgia on September 6, 2013, when Didier Deschamps paired them in the second half. Gignac had nearly delivered Euro 2016 to Les Bleus, his shot deflected by the post in the final against Portugal (1-0 a.e.t. defeat) remaining one of the most striking images of his international career.