Why doesn’t Benzema play in the World Cup?
The current Ballon d’Or winner and winner of the Champions League was originally in France’s squad for the World Cup. Due to various muscle injuries, the Real Madrid striker missed a significant part of the autumn, but, as expected, he would be in service by the start of the tournament in Qatar.
However, the day before the opening match of the championship, Karim suffered his fifth injury of the season – due to a hip injury, Benzema had to miss three weeks. The French national team announced that the striker was forced to withdraw from the tournament
Who was called in to replace him?
Nobody. Shortly after the news of Benzema’s injury broke , Marca announced that Manchester United striker Anthony Martial would be called up to the squad, but Didier Deschamps decided to keep the bid unchanged. “25 players are enough for us,” stressed the head coach of the French national team. “There will be no more changes. We have all the players we need.”
A few days later, the newspaper L’Equipe wrote that, allegedly after the departure of Benzema, the atmosphere in the team became better, and some of the players “experienced relief.” French midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni denied this speculation.
Where has Kareem been in recent weeks?
The striker left Qatar and first went to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, where he rested and recovered for several days. And in early December, he flew to Madrid. Benzema began individual training at the Real Madrid base on December 10 – by this date, the three weeks that the Frenchman was supposed to miss have almost expired.
So far, no source has reported that Karim has fully recovered from the injury, but three weeks have already passed since the injury. On Wednesday, the publication Mundo Deportivo issued an insider: Real Madrid allowed the striker to return to the location of the French national team.
Can he really play?
According to the rules, yes. If Deschamps had called someone instead of Benzema, then the question would have disappeared by itself. But formally, Karim is still listed in the national team’s application, although it has been almost a month since he left Qatar. Even on the page of the French team on the FIFA website, his profile remains intact.
This means that Benzema will definitely receive a medal – gold or silver. And if he still arrives in Qatar, then he will also be awarded a medal personally immediately after the final.
Does France need Benzema?
The most intriguing question. On the one hand, Benzema is officially the best player in the world that any team wants to see in their home. On the other hand, there are irrefutable statistics: under Didier Deschamps, the French national team reached the final of major tournaments three times when Benzema was not in the squad. And when Karim played (at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2020), the Tricolors were eliminated early.
Even without taking into account statistics, everything is not so clear. It is unlikely that rumors about the negative impact of the Real Madrid striker on the atmosphere in the national team appeared from scratch. But you can also leave them out of brackets.
France have a great front line: Mbappe scored five goals, Giroud four, Griezmann provided three assists. How can one of them be deprived of the final in such a situation? Obviously, if Benzema returns to Qatar, he will be able to enter the field only during the meeting with Argentina.
What does Deschamps say?
After the victory over Morocco, the head coach of the French national team was asked a direct question:
– It is reported that Karim Benzema may return to Qatar. Is it true? Is there any possibility that you will release it for a few minutes in the final if necessary?
Hearing this, Deschamps sighed heavily, smiled and answered enigmatically:
I’d rather not answer that. Next question. I beg your pardon.
It is difficult to say what forced Deschamps to react this way: the relationship with Benzema, with the players, or an attempt to confuse the opponent before the final. But the question is still open, and the owner of the Golden Ball can still raise the World Cup over his head without playing a minute in the tournament.
