The end of the adventure at the end of yet another misunderstanding? While the real story around Karim Benzema’s withdrawal from the World Cup in Qatar undoubtedly remains to be written, there seems little doubt when reading the latest tweet from the Real Madrid center-forward on Monday. The message of the recent Ballon d’Or, published on his 35th birthday, feels the international retirement with full nose: “I made the efforts and the errors which it was necessary to be where I am today and I am proud of it! I have written my story and ours is ending. »
Over 97 selections, stretched over 15 years from March 28, 2007 against Austria (1-0) to June 13 against Croatia (0-1), each time in Saint-Denis, the player trained at OL will have planted 37 goals.
But he will ultimately only have won the 2021 Nations League with the Blues, after in particular missing the 2018 world title in Russia, the culmination of five and a half years of absence against the backdrop of a sextape affair and of complicated relations with Didier Deschamps.
Only one World Cup disputed, in 2014
Held against all odds by the coach to compete in Euro 2021, Benzema will score four goals there, but the course of the Blues will stop in the round of 16, against Switzerland on penalties, already. On Sunday, he encouraged his teammates from afar before the lost World Cup final in Qatar, against Argentina.
He will only have experienced one World Cup, in 2014 in Brazil, and an adventure aborted in the quarter-finals by Germany. The summary of an extremely frustrating international career, compared to the Madrid player’s incredible club career, crowned with five Champions Leagues.