the attacker Karim Benzema announced on Monday the “end” of his career in the French national team, in a message posted on Twitter, one day after the final of the World-2022 lost by his country to Argentina.
“I have made the efforts and I have made the mistakes necessary to be where I am today and I am proud of it. I have written my story and ours ends,” the 2022 Ballon d’Or, who turns 35 this Monday, wrote on Twitter, accompanying his message of a photo of him with the jersey of the France team.
(Argentina: camouflaged fan shows her breasts and can go to jail, video)
(‘Dibu’ Martínez tells why he celebrated with the obscene gesture, video)
Benzema was not part of France in the Qatar World Cupafter an injury days before the start of the tournament.
Benzema had been declared absent due to injury for the World Cup on the eve of the start of the competition, while already in Qatar, due to a thigh problem suffered during training three days before France’s debut against Australia.
His period of convalescence had been estimated at three weeks by la French Football Federation (FFF). Since then, he has alternated messages of encouragement on social networks for the French with other more enigmatic ones, such as the one he posted on Instagram before the World Cup final, where he wrote: “I’m not interested.”
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The injury was one more chapter in his stormy history with the national team. Despite the 97 games played with France (37 goals scored), the former Lyon player never came to shine as a ‘bleu’. He only achieved one important title with France, the UEFA Nations League from 2021, and from 2015 to 2021 he was removed from the team for his involvement in the ‘sextape case’.
For this matter, he was sentenced to one year in prison, with serving the sentence suspended, and a fine of 75,000 euros in the first instance by the Versailles correctional court for complicity in attempted blackmail for events dating back to 2015.
He appealed and was to have been tried a second time on June 30 and July 1 by the Versailles Court of Appeal, but finally withdrew. He had made a surprise return to the national team just before the Euro 2021. In that tournament, France disappointed, being eliminated in the round of 16 against Switzerland.
I made the effort 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. #Nine pic.twitter.com/7LYEzbpHEs— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) December 19, 2022