Emotional Scene as Giroud Consoles Ex Teammate Regragui After France Win

• France forward Olivier Giroud has finally met ex-teammate Walid Regragui
• The former Arsenal striker once played with the Morocco coach at Grenoble
• France defeated Morocco to advance to the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup

France forward Olivier Giroud reunited with former teammate and now coach of Morocco, Walid Regragui, during the World Cup semi-final clash at Al Bayt.

Giroud helped France reach back-to-back finals after Les Blues ended Morocco's fairy tale run with a 2-0 win.

Although the former Arsenal striker did not score, he has been pivotal for the French team at the tournament in Qatar, scoring the winner against England in the quarter-final.

The semi-final game against the Atlas Lions saw the striker meet his former Grenoble teammate Regragui, with whom he shared the pitch during the start of his career.

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After France advanced to the finals, Giroud walked straight to the Moroccan coach to offer his commiserations and celebrate his success.

In photos that have since gone viral on social media, Giroud gave Regragui a big hug as the duo shared the moment together.

Goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani at either side of half-time ensured the Europeans make it to another final, while the North Africans will settle for third or fourth place against Croatia.

Giroud to face former teammate

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that the World Cup semi-final between Morocco and France will see two former teammates become rivals in different roles.

Giroud, Les Bleus' all-time top scorer, will come up against Atlas Lions coach Regragui for the first time since they played together at Grenoble.

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Regragui was at the tail end of his career when a young Giroud arrived at the French club, to begin a football journey that will see him become a legend in his own right.

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Giroud became his country's all-time top scorer in international history with 52 goals, surpassing legendary Thierry Henry's tally of 51 goals.

The 36-year-old opened the scoring for Les Bleus, as they edged out Poland 3-1 in the knockout phase of the 2022 World Cup.

In the process, the former Chelsea attacker surpassed Henry to etch his name into the football history books of his country.