It has reportedly been revealed why Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema chose not to attend France's 2022 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina.
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The 35-year-old was named in Les Bleus' 26-man squad for the tournament in Qatar, but was later sent home by Didier Deschamps as a result of an injury he carried into the team's preparations.
It has since come to light that Benzema wanted to stay with the group in the Middle East, perhaps hoping he would be fit enough to feature late on in the competition.
Deschamps, however, decided against allowing the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner to continue his rehabilitation with the squad, a call the Los Blancos forward was said to have felt aggrieved by.
This is according to L'Equipe, who claim that the team's doctor, Franck Le Gall, backed Deschamps' decision and report that Benzema's relationship with the head coach has once again become strained.
The Real No. 9, therefore, chose not to attend the final at the Lusail Stadium, and made a few cryptic posts on Instagram in the days leading up to the encounter between the 2018 World champions and Argentina.
One of them included a caption that read "I am not interested", believed to be in response to France president Emmanuel Macron's invitation to have him flown in for France's eventual penalty shootout defeat to the Albiceleste.
Benzema had also reportedly been left hurt by certain comments Deschamps had made about him days before the match, after the French boss was asked whether or not the striker would make a return to the squad for the final.
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The ex-Olympique Lyon man interpreted Deschamps' response to the question as cold, leaving his future with the French national team in doubt as long as the 54-year-old is in charge.
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