Aïssatou Tounkara retires at 31 after injury-hit years | OneFootball

France defender Aïssatou Tounkara has retired at 31, ending a career that brought 40 caps and 3 goals. She will not embark on a 17th season at the highest level after a year without playing at Fleury.

She confirmed the news on Thursday, saying in an Instagram video that she was stopping earlier than planned because her body had forced the decision after injuries in recent years.

Tounkara made her Division 1 debut with Juvisy, now Paris FC, in 2011. She moved abroad to Atlético de Madrid from 2018 to 2022, then spent 2022 to 2023 at Manchester United.

Back in France, she signed for PSG for one season and wore the armband. In 2024 she joined Fleury, remained under contract last season but did not feature.

She debuted for France in September 2016 under Olivier Echouafni in a 6-0 Euro 2017 qualifier win over Albania. She later played at Euro 2022 in England and the 2023 World Cup in Australia, called up to replace Amandine Henry. Her last cap came in the quarter-final against Morocco, a 4-0 win in Adelaide.

Source: L'Équipe