Real Madrid got some bad news today, from the French national team, with word that their talismanic striker, Karim Benzema, will not take part in the World Cup due to injury.
France’s injury woes continue, with Benzema joining the ranks of N’Golo Kante, Christopher Nkunku and Paul Pogba as star players who will miss the duration of the tournament, due to injury.
Benzema suffered a tear in the quadriceps of his left leg, during his first full training session with the national side.
“Karim Benzema is out of the World Cup,” the French soccer federation (FFF) said.
“After hurting the quadriceps on his left thigh, the Real Madrid striker is forced to give up on taking part in the World Cup. He went for an MRI scan in a hospital (clinic) in Doha, which unfortunately confirmed a tear.”
The timetable for the Ballon d’Or winner’s return is about three weeks.
Madrid is off to until New Year’s Eve, when they’ll take on Real Valladolid in La Liga play. He hasn’t featured since November 2, in a sub appearance against Celtic in the Champions League.
His last appearance before that was October 19, as he’s been battling injury quite a bit this season.
Benzema posted the following message to his official verified Instagram account:
“I’ve never given up in my life but tonight I have to think of the team, as I have always done. So reason tells me to give my place to someone who can help our squad have a great World Cup. Thanks for all your messages of support.”
The center forward was France’s top scorer during the 2014 World Cup.
With yet another injury to a key player, it is looking more and more likely that the so-called curse of the champions continues here. France are the reigning champions, and since 2002, the current holders of the World Cup have not made it out of the group stages.
Coincidentally, the curse started with France in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
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Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.