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Karim Benzema has retired from international football after sitting out France’s run to the World Cup final due to injury.
The Real Madrid striker, who won the Ballon d’Or in October, announced the decision to end his career with Les Bleus on his 35th birthday.
He wrote on Twitter: “I made the efforts 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.”
J’ai fait les efforts et les erreurs qu’il fallait pour être là où je suis aujourd’hui et j’en suis fier !
J’ai écrit mon histoire et la nôtre prend fin. #Nueve pic.twitter.com/7LYEzbpHEs— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) December 19, 2022
Benzema was ruled out of the Qatar 2022 finals on the eve of the tournament after suffering a thigh injury in a France training session.
He scored 37 goals in 97 games for France, making his debut against Austria in March 2007, but Benzema’s international career was marked by a long period of absence.
The former Lyon frontman notably missed the World Cup triumph at Russia 2018 while out of favour amid what was then an ongoing blackmail investigation.
This time around he was hoping to play a big part in the trophy defence, but Benzema had been troubled by a niggle in the lead-up to the tournament, which did not bode well.
He was battling to prove his fitness but suffered an apparent injury recurrence during his first full training session with Didier Deschamps’ squad.
Benzema underwent an MRI at a Doha hospital and it was decided he faced three weeks of recovery, leading to him leaving the France squad and not returning.
Deschamps said at the time: “I’m extremely sorry for Karim who had made this World Cup a major objective.”
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