France captain Wendie Renard says she will skip the Women's World Cup this year as she's unhappy with the team's setup and needs "to protect her mental health." Renard is arguably France's greatest women's footballer.
She has played 142 internationals, adding 34 goals. Renard has won 15 league titles and eight Champions League trophies with Lyon.
Following Renard's decision on Friday, striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto and forward Kadidiatou Diani also announced they were putting their international careers on hold.
Although Renard stopped short of retiring, she said she no longer felt able to play for the national team. "I love France more than anything, I am not perfect, far from it, but I can no longer accept the current system which is far away from the demands required at the highest level," Renard wrote on her Instagram page. "It's a sad day but a necessary one to protect my mental health.