Benzema joins other high-profile players such as Pogba, Kante and Nkunku, who all pulled out of the Les Bleus squad due to injury
By Kehinde Okeowo
Real Madrid forward, Karim Benzema, has joined the list of prominent footballers who will not be representing France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to injury.
This was made known on Sunday by the French Football Federation (FFF), who said Benzema, who won the Ballon D’or this year, was ruled out of the Mundial after picking up a muscle injury in training.
“Due to an injury in the quadriceps of the left thigh, the Real Madrid striker is forced to give up participating in the World Cup,” the FFF announced.
The FFF also revealed that the French striker was forced to cut short the collective training session after feeling pain in the quadriceps of his left thigh.
It was further disclosed that he went for an MRI at a hospital in Doha and was confirmed to receive a femoral rectus injury, which will require three weeks to recover.
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It is a huge blow to Les Bleus, who
had already lost other high-profile players such as Paul Pogba, N’golo Kante and Christopher Nkunku to injury, in their bid to defend the title they won in Moscow four years ago.
“I am extremely sad for Karim who made this World Cup a major goal,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Despite this new blow for the French team, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything to meet the huge challenge that awaits us.”
It was also a massive disappointment to Benzema, who missed France’s triumph in 2018 after being excluded from the squad in 2015, as he took to his Instagram account and said:
“I’ve never given up in my life but tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done. So reason tells me to give my place to someone who can help our squad have a great World Cup. Thanks for all your messages of support,”
