Karim Benzema will not play in the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to injury

(Reuters) – Today, Saturday, the French Football Federation announced that striker Karim Benzema has been excluded from the World Cup in Qatar, after he was injured in training.

The Golden Ball winner, who was suffering from muscle problems, was forced to leave training for France, the defending champion, due to injury.

“I am very sad for Karim, who made the World Cup an important goal. Despite this new shock for the French national team, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything we can to meet the enormous challenge that lies ahead,” said the coach. Didier Deschamps in a statement.

France, already short of influential midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante through injury, will open their Group D campaign against Australia on Tuesday.

The player thanked the support messages on his Instagram account as soon as the news spread:

“The entire team shares Karim’s disappointment and wishes him a speedy recovery,” he said. team in a tweet.

Since 2007, Benzema has made 97 appearances for France and scored 37 goals for the national team.

Benzema received the 2022 Golden Ball award, which is awarded by the French magazine France Football, to the best soccer player of the season. The Frenchman’s achievement marked the second time since 2008 that a player other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo won the prestigious award.