Despite rumors that he would return to the French national team following his recovery from a muscle injury, Real Madrid and France forward Karim Benzema has suggested that he will not be attending the 2022 World Cup final, in which his team is set to face Argentina at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday, December 18.
Benzema was previously ruled out of the tournament due to the injury and has not been able to participate in the event. However, with his recovery complete, speculation arose that he might be able to join the team for the final match. It now appears that this will not be the case, as indicated by Benzema’s recent cryptic message on social media.
When asked about the possibility of calling up Karim Benzema for the World Cup final, France coach Didier Deschamps dodged the question, stating, “I don’t want to answer. Next question.”
It is worth noting that the relationship between Benzema and Deschamps has been strained, with Deschamps reportedly feeling slighted that Benzema did not thank him during his Ballon d’Or acceptance speech earlier this year.
France president Emmanuel Macron has extended invitations to all members of the national team who were unable to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, including Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, and Christopher Nkunku.
However, Benzema has hinted that he may not be attending the event, posting a message on social media that reads, “I’m not interested.”
In addition to Karim Benzema, reports have also indicated that France legend and former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, who has a close relationship with Benzema, has declined an invitation to attend the World Cup final in Qatar.
Benzema has been dealing with injuries throughout the 2022/23 season, but made a return to the field during Madrid’s 60-minute friendly match against Leganes on Thursday.
He is now expected to be fully fit and ready to play in Madrid’s La Liga match against Real Valladolid on December 30, as he is no longer experiencing any discomfort following his return to the pitch.
Before facing Real Valladolid in their next La Liga match, Real Madrid will also participate in a friendly match against Getafe on December 23. This game will give the team from the capital city an opportunity to further prepare for their upcoming league competition and fine-tune their tactics and strategy.
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