Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema will miss his second consecutive World Cup after he has officially pulled out of Qatar 2022. The striker has suffered a thigh injury in his first full training session with France in Doha on Saturday.
He left the pitch halfway through the session, and the French Football Federation later confirmed he had teared a muscle in his left thigh that would need three weeks recovery time. Under FIFA rules Didier Deschamps has until Monday to call up a replacement.
“I am extremely sad for Karim, who made this World Cup a major goal,” said head coach Didier Deschamps.
“In my life I never give up but tonight I have to think about the team like I always do,” Benzema said.
During the 2014 World Cup, the Ballon d’Or winner became the top scorer for the French National team but unfortunately ruled out of 2018 World Cup. The reigning World Cup champions begin their title defence against Australia on Tuesday, before facing Denmark and Tunisia
Source: Eurosport
