Karim Benzema announces ending international career with France

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from France’s national team on social media.

J’ai fait les efforts et les erreurs qu’il fallait pour être là où je suis aujourd’hui et j’en suis fier !
J’ai écrit mon histoire et la nôtre prend fin. #Nueve pic.twitter.com/7LYEzbpHEs

— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) December 19, 2022

“I’ve made my best efforts and my mistakes to be where I am today and I am proud! I’ve written my own story and our story ends today,” wrote Benzema.

Benzema, who scored 37 goals for France in 97 appearances, had to withdraw from France’s World Cup squad before their first match due to a left thigh injury.

The Real Madrid player, who won the Ballon d’Or award in October, had been desperate to feature in Qatar having not been selected when France won the World Cup in Russia four years ago.

He was frozen out of the France team for five and a half years because of his involvement in a blackmail scandal over a sextape involving his former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

In a trial last year he was handed a one-year suspended prison sentence and fined 75,000 euros ($79,500).

For the Qatar World Cup, coach Didier Deschamps opted not to call up a replacement and France still had depth in their squad, particularly in an attack led by 23-year-old Kylian Mbappe.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe won the World Cup Golden Boot award with eight goals, including a hat-trick in Sunday’s penalty shootout defeat by Argentina following a 3-3 draw at the end of extra time.