Olivier Giroud scored a brace for France on Tuesday night as they beat Sweden 4-2, with the Chelsea striker moving to within seven goals of Thierry Henry's record for Les Bleus.
Giroud may be on the periphery for Chelsea, having played just 33 Premier League minutes in 2020/21 following the arrival of Timo Werner and the rise of Tammy Abraham, but he remains a key play for France.
However, one situation also influences the other and the longer Giroud continues to receive minimal game time, the harder it will become for France coach Didier Deschamps to select him - something he reiterated after the match.
As reported by football.london last week, Giroud is open to the idea of a January move to preserve his international career as he hunts down Henry's national record of 51 goals and looks to seal a place in Deschamps' squad for the European Championships.
The 34-year-old was heavily criticised in the build-up to Tuesday's game in Paris following an indifferent performance against Finland, but he responded with a fine finish from Marcus Thuram's cutback and then added a second with a diving header.
"We had a lot of regrets and frustration, also on an individual level, against Finland. We wanted to learn from that match, and we were able to react against Portugal by dominating and deserving the victory," Giroud told M6, via Goal.
"This gathering is positive after this last match. Even if everything is not perfect, there is still a feeling of satisfaction.
"There was no feeling of revenge for me. I'm used to being heckled, it's the story of my career. It gives me more strength. I have no problem with that."
According to Telefoot, Ligue 1 sides Marseille and Bordeaux are interested in signing Giroud in January, along with Serie A giants Internazionale while The Athletic have reported that four Premier League clubs have also been monitoring his situation.
