The rift between Didier Deschamps and Karim Benzema prompted the Real Madrid striker to retire from the French team. Reports out of France suggest that the discord began during the team’s stay at Clairefontaine ahead of the World Cup. Upon arriving, Benzema was in a sour mood and refused to undergo a medical examination by the team doctor, claiming he already knew what was wrong with him. The bad blood between the player and coach ultimately led to Benzema’s decision to withdraw from international duty.
Deschamps and Benzema have a strained relationship, with Deschamps’ technical staff doubting Benzema’s honesty about his form. Despite suffering an injury to his left quadriceps muscle that caused him to miss some of Real Madrid’s matches before the international break in October, Benzema stayed on and went to Doha, Qatar. However, he refused to undergo a comprehensive medical examination as requested by the doctor. The forward saw no reason to do so as the injury had already been identified, and he knew his body well enough.
Before France’s first match in the World Cup, Benzema chose to leave the team, as per reports by L’Equipe. The Real Madrid player was willing to stick around, but the technical staff advised him to go back to Madrid for recovery. While some team members were unhappy with his departure, journalist Romain Molina claims that Antoine Griezmann and Hugo Lloris welcomed it. Although rumors suggest that Benzema could return to the team if Zinedine Zidane replaces Didier Deschamps as coach, the French Football Federation has confirmed Deschamps’ position until 2026. Since Benzema missed the World Cup, he hasn’t played for France.
