France captain Renard pulls out of World Cup, others follow

PARIS (AP) — France captain Wendie Renard has announced she will skip the Women’s World Cup this year. Renard says she’s unhappy with the team’s set up and needs to protect her mental health. Renard is arguably France’s greatest women’s footballer. She has played 142 times for France and added 34 goals. She stopped short of retiring but says “I can no longer accept the current system which is far away from the demands required at the highest level.” There have been tensions in the squad for years between players and coach Corinne Diacre. Following Renard’s decision, striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto and forward Kadidiatou Diani announced they were putting their international careers on hold.