The World Cup is in danger for Benzema

The exact nature and severity of his injury is still unknown, but it could be a very hard blow for the French team and for the World Cup in Qatar as it was the recent Ballon d’Or. After finally resuming collective training this Saturday with the ‘ Bleus’ behind closed doors, Karim Benzema had to cut the session short and retire with bad feelings.

Benzema, who was part of Didier Deschamps’s plans to start the French debut against Australia on Tuesday at the Al Janoub stadium, will be absent for sure in this match, corresponding to group D, but the worst thing is that he could miss the entire championship and having to be replaced by another player. As reported by RMC and L’Equipe, the concern is great among the French staff and the obvious pessimism.

A terrible blow for the current world champions and news that, if confirmed, puts the multimillion-dollar world of football on fire again. On the one hand, he puts all the ill-considered and a large part of the critics who assured that Benzema was erased in the last games with Real Madrid to get to the World Cup in Qatar in a bad place. Karim hasn’t played a game for almost three weeks. The last time he defended the white shirt was on November 2, in the Champions League match against Celtic from Glasgow, at the Santiago Bernabéu, where the Frenchman played the last half hour.

On the other hand, it seems clear that Real Madrid did not report exactly when they claimed that their star’s ailments were due to simple “muscular fatigue” in his left leg. And it also puts the technical and medical staff of France in the pillory for, allegedly, not knowing in detail the true state of Benzema, who aspires to become the first player in history in Doha capable of lifting the Champions League, League and World Cup, in addition to being crowned with the Ballon d’Or that accredits him as the best footballer on the planet in an excellent 2022 for the Lyon.

Benzema was unable to participate in the last four league games played by Carlo Ancelotti’s team before the break for the World Cup that begins this Monday with the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador starting at 5:00 p.m. in Spain, two more hours in Qatar. His last participation took place just a month ago, on October 19, against Elche at the Martínez Valero.

Benzema, who with the well-deserved achievement of the Ballon d’Or entered the dimension of established superstars at the age of 34, is in Qatar before the last and great opportunity of his career to achieve a title with his country that crowns his career. In club football he shines, especially, with the five Champions Leagues won with Real Madrid, but he still lacks an award with the ‘Bleus’.

Karim returned to the national team ahead of last year’s Euros after Deschams lifted his harsh six-year ostracism for his involvement in the sex tape blackmail case against former team-mate Matthieu Valbuena. After that page, Benzema always hoped to help France to revalidate their title: “Of course I want to win the World Cup!” He said recently.

Restlessness with Messi

There is also concern in the Argentina team. It seems that it is not about any major ailment, but Leo Messi continues without exercising with his teammates at Qatar University and the Albiceleste debuts this Tuesday against Saudi Arabia at the Lusail stadium on the first day of group C that also includes Mexico and Poland.

From within the Argentine team, one of the great favorites to win the title, there is the conviction that Messi only exercises on the sidelines as a precaution and that he will be able to play the World Cup without problems. But it is the great hope of an entire country, of a 35-year-old veteran who recently overcame tendon problems suffered with PSG.

The fact is that the Argentine concentration goes from scare to scare. Just a few days ago Nico González and Tucu Correa said goodbye to Qatar due to injury and Scaloni’s coaching staff opted to summon Ángel Correa and Thiago Almada as substitutes.