It was June 3, 2022. Just a year ago. But that seems a long way off today in the light of recent events. N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema were then associated for the 7th time with the Blues on the occasion of a tasteless defeat against Denmark in the League of Nations (1-2). We didn’t know it yet, but we were witnessing their final joint appearance in the France team. A few months later, on December 19 exactly, the Ballon d’Or 2022 announced his international retirement, when the small midfielder, weighed down by injuries, had already deserted the pitch, his favorite space for expression.
