Despite missing the rest of the World Cup due to injury, Karim Benzema may play for France in the World Cup final against Argentina.
Benzema suffered a thigh injury while training in Qatar on the eve of the World Cup. He was out of the tournament. He flew back home to Madrid to start work on his recovery, and that gave off the impression of being the finish of his possibilities of playing in the competition.
The 34-year-old’s muscle tear was allowed a three-week recuperating time, and he left Doha accepting he would have been supplanted in the crew. Due to injury, he missed the tournament along with Paul Pogba, Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, N’Golo Kante, and Christopher Nkunku.
He wrote at the time on Instagram, “I’ve never given up in my life, but tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done.” Therefore, my reason is to give my spot to someone who can assist our team in winning the World Cup.
On the eve of France’s first match against Australia, however, manager Didier Deschamps chose not to bring in a replacement for Benzema. Instead, he has worked with 25 rather than 26 players in Qatar and led Les Bleus to the final following Wednesday night’s 2-0 victory over Morocco.
Benzema is still included in the official FIFA World Cup squad. The Ballon d’Or winner has returned to full training with Real Madrid following recovery sessions and vacation, and Mundo Deportivo claims that he may return to Qatar before the final.
Benzema reportedly has permission from Real, and Deschamps is now in charge. After Morocco’s victory, reporters inquired about the possibility, but the France manager did not respond. He responded, “I’d prefer to move on to the next question.”
Benzema is France’s all-time leading scorer at the 2014 World Cup, scoring 37 goals in 97 appearances. However, he was still exiled from the team for his role in a sex-tape scandal with then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena, for which he received a one-year suspended prison sentence and a €75,000 fine for complicity in attempted blackmail. As a result, he could not participate in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In the absence of Benzema, France’s line has been led by Olivier Giroud, who has scored four goals in five games in Qatar. The 36-year-old former Arsenal striker is now the country’s all-time leading goal scorer, passing Thierry Henry.
On Sunday, he will probably play alongside Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann.
Deschamps used substitutes Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani in the second half of the game against Morocco. Thuram of Borussia Monchengladbach replaced Giroud but played on the left side. Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt replaced Dembele on the right side and scored the game-tying second goal.
