What seemed like a simple courtesy visit turned out to be much more. At halftime of the Ligue 1 match between Marseille and Lille at the Stade Vélodrome, Dimitri Payet was interviewed live on Ligue 1+. It was a chance to catch up with the former OM star, who had been without a club since leaving Vasco de Gama.
But when asked, "What's next for you?", the former French international couldn't hold back his tears and announced he was retiring from professional football.
A standout player of the 2010s
Payet, who hails from Réunion, began his career at Nantes in 2004 at just 17 years old. That was the start of a journey that took him all over Ligue 1: FCNA (2004-2007), Saint-Étienne (2007-2011), Lille (2011-2013), and then Olympique de Marseille, where he made his biggest mark during two spells (2013-2015 and 2017-2023), with a stint in the Premier League at West Ham (2015-2017) in between. His last club was Vasco de Gama, which he left under unclear circumstances last year.
He scored no fewer than 149 goals and provided 160 assists at club level, though he never managed to win a major trophy. There were finals, like the 2018 Europa League final with OM where he played a key role, but he often fell just short of the ultimate prize.
The same was true with the French national team. Capped 38 times (with 8 goals and 8 assists), he was one of the driving forces behind Les Bleus at Euro 2016, which ended in heartbreak with a loss to Portugal in the final.
Two of Dimitri Payet's goals will be remembered:
A stunning free kick for West Ham
And the winning goal for France against Romania at Euro 2016
A remarkable career comes to an end...