December 19, (THEWILL) – After missing France’s World Cup run due to injury, Karim Benzema announced his retirement from international play.
On the occasion of his 35th birthday, the Ballon d’Or-winning Real Madrid striker declared that he was retiring from international competition with France.
Taking to Twitter, he stated: “I made the efforts 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.”
On the day of the competition, Benzema’s participation in the Qatar 2022 finals was ruled out due to a thigh injury he sustained during a France training session. Before the final against Argentina, he was back in the gym, but he made it obvious that he would not participate in the game.
French coach Didier Deschamps agreed, saying Les Bleus were going to make do with the players that had taken them to the final. Although they rallied to a 3-3 draw after extra time, penalty misses ensured that Albiceleste won their third World Cup and Lionel Messi’s final missing trophy.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
