Karim Benzema will not return to the France team.

The center-forward of Real Madrid, winner of the Ballon d'Or 2022 announced the "end" of his international career, Monday, December 19, the day after the defeat of France in the final of the World Cup against the Argentina.

"I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I'm proud of it! I wrote my story and ours ends", wrote on his Twitter account the Ballon d'Or 2022, which turns 35 this Monday, accompanying its message with a photo of itself in the jersey of the France team.

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.

#Nueve pic.twitter.com/7LYEzbpHEs

— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) December 19, 2022

This announcement comes after a World Cup for which he had to forfeit at the last moment after being hit in the thigh in training, just three days before the start of the match against Australia.

His recovery time had been estimated at three weeks by the French Federation (FFF).

On social networks, he had since alternated messages of encouragement for the French and other more enigmatic ones, like the one posted on Instagram just before the Argentina-France final where he wrote: "I'm not interested not".    

Surprise return in 2021

This injury was just another chapter in Benzema's upset history with the selection.

Despite his 97 caps and 37 goals, the former Lyonnais never really shone in Blue.

He thus won only one competition, the League of Nations in 2021, with the Tricolores and was kept out of it for a long time, from 2015 to 2021, because of his involvement in the so-called affair of the "sex tape". 

He was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros at first instance by the Versailles Criminal Court for complicity in attempted blackmail for facts dating back to 2015. He had appealed and should have been tried a second time on June 30 and July 1 by the Versailles Court of Appeal but he finally withdrew.

He had made his return to the France team to everyone's surprise just before Euro-2021, concluded after an elimination on penalties in the round of 16 against Switzerland (3-3 ap).       

At Club, Karim Benzema's 2021-2022 season has been wonderful: with 44 goals in 46 matches, the center-forward carried Real to their 35th title in the league and was one of the heroes of the "White House in the quest for their 14th Champions League crown. 

With AFP

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