Madrid – Karim Benzema of France, the current Ballon d’Or winner, has retired from international football. Thirty-five-year-old Benzema announced his retirement through Twitter. Benzema, who was France’s main hope in the Qatar World Cup, missed the World Cup completely due to an injury during training. Benzema injured his left thigh muscle during training. The French Soccer Federation announced that the player had stopped training due to pain.
Despite the absence of Benzema, France reached the final with a spectacular performance, losing to Argentina and finishing second. Meanwhile, Benzema, who resumed training just ahead of the final, was rumored to feature against Argentina, but that turned out to be rumours. Following this, the actor announced his retirement on his 35th birthday.
‘My hard work and my mistakes have made me who I am today. I am proud of it. I wrote my story. Ours ends here’ – Benzema wrote on Twitter.
Benzema, who has scored 37 goals in 97 games in the French jersey, has made it clear that he will continue to play for Spanish giants Real Madrid in club football. The player who was France’s top scorer in the 2014 World Cup was not in the French team for the Russia World Cup. Benzema was dropped after being embroiled in a sex tape scandal involving former team-mate Mathieu Valbiena. He returned to the national team in May last year.
Meanwhile, the shine of the Ballon d’Or also reached Benzema this year. The award was given for his crucial role in making Real Madrid champions in La Liga and Champions League and his performance for France in the UEFA Nations League. Scored 27 goals in the Spanish league and 15 goals in the Champions League.
English Summary: Karim Benzema retires from international football after France’s defeat to Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2022 final