Injury forced Karim Benzema of France out of the FIFA World Cup

• Karim Benzema will not participate in the World Cup
• Ballon d’Or winner had to leave earlier on Saturday’s training session
• Benzema has scored 10 goals in 16 games since his comeback to the international team

Karim Benzema, a striker for France, will not participate in the World Cup in Qatar due to an injury he sustained in training, the French football association announced on Saturday.

The Ballon d’Or winner had to leave earlier on Saturday’s training session for the defending champions France due to a muscular issue.

“I am extremely sad for Karim who had made this World Cup a major objective. Despite this new blow for the French team, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything to meet the huge challenge that awaits us,” said coach Didier Deschamps in a statement.

In his first season with Real Madrid, Benzema had an outstanding campaign, scoring 44 goals in 46 games across all competitions to help Real Madrid win the LaLiga and Champions League double.

He was France’s leading scorer at the 2014 World Cup, but despite only joining the team again last year after a six-year sabbatical, he was not a part of their triumph in the 2018 tournament.

Exile from the country was brought on by a blackmail controversy and his statement that Deschamps had “bowed to the pressure of a racist element of France” when he left the forward, a Muslim of Algerian heritage, out of the Euro 2016 team.

Benzema has scored 10 goals in 16 games since his comeback to the international team.

In an Instagram post, Benzema stated, “I’ve never given up in my life but tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done,”

“So reason tells me to give my place to someone who can help our squad have a great World Cup. Thanks for all your messages of support.”

Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, and Christopher Nkunku are already out injured for France, which plays Australia in Group D on Tuesday.

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