Lloris is slated to tie France’s all-time tally against Poland.

Hugo Lloris of France started playing for his country a few months after Lilian Thuram retired, and on Sunday when the World Cup’s defending champions play Poland in the round of 16, the goalkeeper will equal the great defender’s record of 142 appearances.

Thuram’s time with Les Bleus came to a painful end with a 4-1 loss against the Netherlands in the Euro 2008 group stage, as France was unable to go further than the quarterfinals.

However, the unassuming Lloris won’t make a big deal out of tying Thuram’s record since he is more concerned with helping France advance to the final eight in Qatar.

The 35-year-old Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, who has played 12,866 minutes in goal for France, said at a news conference, “It’s no mean feat, I’m very honored and proud of these numbers, even if on the eve of a World Cup Round of 16, this is obviously secondary.”

I want to preserve all of my energy for the game tomorrow because we have a fresh struggle ahead of us and we will need every ounce of power. For me, this competition comes first.

“After the competition is finished, I’ll absolutely appreciate it more, perhaps in the greatest manner,” she said.

Lloris, who has started every game for France, has also led the team 118 times, set a record for France, and kept a clean sheet 61 times. He was a key player in France’s 2018 World Cup winning campaign.

Didier Deschamps, the team’s coach, is ranked second after donning the captain’s armband 54 times.

“Records will inevitably be broken. Hugo will match “Tutu’s” stature. They both play at a very, very high level and are model citizens and professionals, according to Deschamps.