Karim Benzema has made a full recovery from a thigh injury and had been expected to make the trip to Qatar to rejoin the France side that will face Argentina in the World Cup Final on Sunday. On the other hand, it would seem that the striker is not too interested.
Real Madrid have agreed to let Karim Benzema take part in the World Cup finals for France, despite the match being played in Russia. After sustaining a thigh injury in the build-up to the World Cup in Qatar, the forward was told he would not be able to take part in the competition.
Having flown back to Madrid to begin work on his rehabilitation, it seemed his prospects of competing were no longer possible after he decided to return home. The muscle damage sustained by the 34-year-old is estimated to require a three-week recovery and he left Doha expecting to be replaced in the squad.
He was one of several players, including Paul Pogba, Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, N’Golo Kante and Christopher Nkunku, who were sidelined through injury and did not take part in the tournament. Didier Deschamps decided not to replace him with any other player; instead, he worked in Qatar with just 25 players instead of 26 and led Les Bleus to the final after a 2–0 victory against Morocco.
Will Karim Benzema play for France in the World Cup Final vs Argentina?
Benzema’s name has not been removed from France’s roster for the World Cup, which means he can still compete in the tournament. The winner of the Ballon d’Or is now participating in full training with Real Madrid after participating in recuperation sessions and taking some time off for vacation.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the Ballon d’Or winner may go back to Qatar before the championship match. It is now up to the striker to decide whether or not he wishes to rejoin his national team at this point.
In addition, the decision also lies in the hands of Deschamps. After France’s victory against Morocco, reporters inquired about the prospect, but France’s manager did not respond to their questions. He responded by saying, “I’d prefer to move on to the next question.” As a result, Relevo reports that Karim Benzema has made the decision to forego traveling to Qatar in order to participate in Sunday’s final versus Argentina.
In spite of the permission from his club to fly to Doha, the 34-year-old reportedly did not enjoy the statements made by Deschamps and, more broadly, the lack of interest shown by the French Football Federation. Although Benzema has the opportunity to win a medal (either gold or silver), he does not intend to fly to Qatar in order to collect it.
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