Just a day after the defeat of Les Bleus against Argentina in a penalty shootout in a breathtaking showdown in the Qatar World Cup 2022, French striker Karim Benzema declared the end of his international career on his thirty-fifth birthday.
Fans expected him to lead from the front line, Didier Deschamps’s World Cup squad. But a thigh injury in practice before the tournament ruled him out. However, the team did well in the absence of the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, with Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud scoring eight and four goals, respectively.
France beat Australia and Denmark and fell short against Tunisia by 1-0 in group stages. They won against Poland, England and Morocco to join Argentina in the final, where the side ultimately was halted by La Albiceleste.
Deschamps had the chance to recall Benzema in the finals as he had recovered from his pre-tournament injury. But he refused the opportunity and Benzema didn’t leave Madrid.
The tension between Benzema and France’s team management was at its peak as he declined the proposal of president Emmanuel Macron to board his private jet to visit Qatar in the final. According to the sources, the star player needed treatment for only three days in Real Madrid’s training facility.
After that, he flew off on vacation. Neither Deschamps considered him after his recovery nor Benzema showed interest in getting involved in the World Cup.
Benzema grew in stature at Real Madrid. He debuted in the blue jersey in 2017. He competed in the European Championship in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2014. But he got involved in a scandal with his teammate Mathieu Valbuena and faced a ban for five years between 2015 to 2020.
He returned to Deschamps’s squad for the Euro 2020 only to face a devastating loss in the top sixteen. He has 37 international goals in 97 games under his caps. Last season, Benzema accomplished a stellar campaign for Real Madrid, cutting 44 goals in 46 matches and leading the side to La Liga and Champions League victory.
Journalist Romain Molina informed the media about some crucial information after Benzema’s exit from the national team. The conflicts between the player and the management have been running high in the past few weeks. Reportedly, two key players of Les Bleus, Antoine Griezmann and Hugo Lloris, were against Benzema’s return to the squad.
16 years after his debut, Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international duty on his 35th birthday. pic.twitter.com/rQ8HQ8UZgq
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 19, 2022
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| Title: Benzema Broke the Ice Finally, Declared Retirement from International Games
| Author: Trisita Aich
| Date: Dec 24, 2022
