Karim Benzema's international career might be over but the player's rift with Didier Deschamps is nowhere near a conclusion.
The Real Madrid superstar surprised everyone by announcing his decision to retire from the French national team following the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, which his country lost to Argentina, with that move stemming from a dispute with the Bleus boss.
The Ballon d'Or winner was ruled out for Qatar 2022 due to a thigh injury despite making Deschamps' final squad and traveling to the Middle East. As a result, the Blancos ace was sent home and the 2018 winners persevered with Olivier Giroud up front.
However, it later emerged that Benzema's injury was not as serious as the public had thought. In fact, the 35-year-old could have recovered in time for the knockout stage, hence Benzema's anger.
And this sentiment was echoed by the striker's agent Karim Djaziri.
His representative took to social media, posting scans of the injury which apparently proves Benzema could have featured from the round of 16 onward.
"I put that there but before that I consulted 3 specialists who confirm the diagnosis that Benzema could have been fit from the last 16 to at least be on the bench!" Djaziri wrote.
"Why did you ask him to leave so quickly?"
Je pose ça là mais avant ça j'ai consulté 3 spécialistes qui confirment le diagnostic que @Benzema aurait pu être apte à partir des 1/8 éme pour au moins être sur le banc ! Pourquoi lui avoir demandé de partir si vite ? pic.twitter.com/wtOHhDeDVW
— Karim Djaziri (@KDjaziri) December 26, 2022
Given how the final unfolded, the presence of the Merengues sensation might have been beneficial. However, a report by RMC Sport claimed that the 35-year-old was unfit from the beginning and was dishonest about his injury.
This wasn't appreciated by Deschamps, who later decided with the French federation to send the striker home after it became obvious he wasn't in the best physical shape. After this decision was made, the mood in the camp reportedly improved, hinting at a vindication.
But is Benzema's run with the national team truly over? Some suggest that the door isn't completely shut, but it all depends on the manager's future. Zinedine Zidane is all but guaranteed to take over should the current Les Bleus boss step down and Karim's excellent relationship with Zizou could lead him to reverse his retirement.
