Karim Benzema in line to receive World Cup medal if France wins the trophy amid injury suffered.
Despite being ruled out due to injury, Karim Benzema, the captain of Real Madrid, is still eligible to win a World Cup medal should France successfully defend their championship in Qatar.
Didier Deschamps called up the 34-year-old attacker to the France team, but he injured his thigh while working out with the World Cup champions.
Benzema was reportedly declared ineligible after an MRI revealed his ailment would require a “three-week recuperation period.”
Benzema is the first Ballon d’Or winner to miss FIFA’s premier tournament since 1982 due to his absence at the World Cup.
The French Football Federation said prior of the World Cup that Benzema will not play for his country because of his injury, despite the international’s inclusion in Deschamps’ 26-man team.
Prior to their World Cup opening against Australia on November 22, France manager Deschamps decided not to call up a replacement for the defending champions.
If Deschamps’ team wins the World Cup again, Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or award for France Football in October, might finally get his hands on the medal he has long coveted.
The Los Blancos star’s five-and-a-half-year hiatus from the French national squad prevented him from winning a World Cup gold in Russia in 2018.
France began their World Cup run with an incredible 4-1 victory over Australia before defeating Denmark 2-1 in their next Group D match.
Before the World Cup, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Christopher Nkunku, and Benzema were all ruled out for Deschamps’ France team due to injuries.
The Ballon d’Or winner was rumored to make a comeback for France in the World Cup knockout rounds, but Deschamps has already put an end to that talk.
“I’m not thinking about that right now. Deschamps remarked, “I don’t know who’s saying what and how.
“You are aware of his predicament and the length of time he needs to heal. I talked to Benzema after he left us, but I’m not sure where your question is leading.
