Goalkeeper legend says goodbye to football

An extraordinary story has come to an end. Steve Mandanda, the legendary French goalkeeper, has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 40. Although he had been without a club since leaving Rennes this June, Mandanda only now made the decision public. Clearly, he needed time to settle it with himself before announcing it. The Kinshasa born footballer moved from what is now DR Congo to France when he was just two years old and made his fame with Les Bleus rather than with The Leopards.

He revealed his decision to retire in the famous L’Equipe:

"It took me time to accept it, because it wasn’t easy, but yes—I’m leaving. I thought a lot about it, since I was receiving many calls, but every time I said no" the French goalkeeper explained. Mandanda is the player with the most appearances in Olympique de Marseille’s history (613 matches) and a World Cup champion from 2018 (35 caps for the French national team). He began his football journey at Le Havre, and in 2007 moved to Marseille, where he quickly became the first-choice keeper and, eventually, a club icon. He was a key part of the team that won the Ligue 1 title in 2010. He also stood in goal for the last Marseille side to reach the Champions League knockout stage.

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After a short and difficult spell at Crystal Palace during the 2016/17 season, he returned to his beloved Marseille. In 2018, he reached the Europa League final with the club and, in the same year, became a World Cup winner with France, albeit as the backup to Hugo Lloris. After being displaced at Marseille by Pau Lopez, Mandanda moved to Rennes in 2022, where he spent the final season of his distinguished career. His last professional match was played at the Vélodrome, where he received the ovation and farewell reserved only for the greatest. Mandanda was known for his spectacular saves and is rightly considered one of the most outstanding French goalkeepers of the 21st century. His consistency and quality were recognized through numerous individual honors. He was named Ligue 1’s best goalkeeper five times (2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018), a clear sign of his long-term dominance.

His professional journey was marked by remarkable consistency, loyalty, and influence. As one of the most decorated and long-lasting French goalkeepers, Mandanda leaves behind a legacy defined by excellence. Known for his calm demeanor, lightning reflexes, and understated leadership, Mandanda was the backbone of Olympique de Marseille for most of his career, earning the nickname “The Phenomenon” from the fans. It seems like the perfect seal on the end of his career