Karim Benzema seems to have retired from international duty after missing the 2022 World Cup through injury following France’s defeat in the final.
Having been chosen for Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad and leading the way to Qatar with the national team, injury derailed the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner’s tournament before it had even gotten underway.
Benzema left the World Cup prematurely and had to watch on from the side as Les Bleus made it to the final against Argentina but lost on penalties. He’s since taken to social media to confirm his international retirement, seemingly, “I made an effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today, and I’m proud of it! I have written my story, and ours is ending,” the post read.
Benzema has endured a turbulent relationship with the French national team under Deschamps. He made his senior debut in 2007 and represented France regularly at major tournaments before being snubbed from Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. But following a nearly six-year absence – amid a blackmail case involving teammate Mathieu Valbuena – he returned to the national team in 2021.
However, that chapter appears to have closed for good, seeing Benzema retire with 97 caps and 37 goals for Les Bleus. It had been suggested that the forward would recover from his injury in time for the final, but he did not rejoin the squad.
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