Happy Birthday, Hugo Lloris!
France's most capped player, Hugo Lloris, is a veritable legend of the game in L'Héxagone. The former OGC Nice and Olympique Lyonnais shotstopper celebrates his 39th birthday today.
Lloris makes his name in France
Lloris would go on to become a star of international and global acclaim, but his story began in Ligue 1 McDonald's and in Nice's academy. A local lad, he rose through the ranks before becoming their first-choice goalkeeper back in 2005, but he would go on to make just 78 appearances for his formative club, before being snapped up by high-flying Lyon, where his reputation grew and grew.
He would go on to play an incredible 202 games for Les Gones following his move, worth just over €8m, but after a comined 218 games in Ligue 1 McDonald's, he would spend his prime years at Tottenham Hotspur.
How it started:
How it's going:
🇫🇷 Happy Birthday, Hugo Lloris! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/eXdMLaQdO1— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) December 26, 2020
It is there that he became a household name, establishing himself as the undsiputed No.1 following his move in 2012. That would remain the case for over a decade and he would make 447 appearances for Spurs in that time.
He would not win a trophy with the Premier League giants, but he would at least reach the final of the Champions League, where they were eventually beaten by Liverpool. But silverware did not elude him at international level.
Lloris became the face of the France national team, with whom he wore the captain's armand. To this day, his 145 caps have not been surpassed - and they don't look like being surpassed for some time yet!
2018 - a crowning moment
During his time with Les Bleus, he would reach the final of the Euros in 2016, before then famously lifting the World Cup with Didier Deschamps side in Russia in 2018. Victory in that tournament, coupled with his incredible longetivty at the top level, have cemented his status as one of France's all-time greatest players.
He hung up his gloves at international level following the defeat in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina, but he continues to play to this day, albeit on the other side of the Atlantic.
In 2024, he joined Los Angeles FC (LAFC), where he continues to feature regularly. He has already won silverware with the MLS side, winning the US Open Cup during the 2023/24 season. An ever-present over in the US, Lloris is still going strong and this season has made 38 appearances. His contract with the club runs until the end of 2026.
Lloris may be in the twilight of his career, but he is not showing any signs of letting up and plenty of silverware could still await the veteran Frenchman.
Happy Birthday, Hugo Lloris!
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