The French national team failed to advance past the Round of 16 in the UEFA European Championship "Euro 2020," having won only one match in the tournament against Germany (1-0), while drawing the other two matches in the group stage against Hungary (1-1) and Portugal (2-2). They faced an early exit with a defeat against Switzerland, losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the match finished 3-3 after both regular and extra time. This early exit halted the journey of "Les Bleus" after they were among the favorites to win the title.
Since this unexpected exit, the players and their coaching staff have faced a torrent of criticism and skepticism regarding their abilities as well as their relationships with one another. However, the players quickly embraced their responsibilities, acknowledged their mistakes, and vowed to forget the past, focusing solely on the upcoming matches for the national team.
In this context, star striker Karim Benzema, the team's top scorer in the tournament with 4 goals, was the first to raise the challenge flag. In a message shared on social media, accompanied by a video of his best moments and goals in the match against Switzerland, he stated that he turned his back on everything that happened during this tournament and is only thinking about the important matches that "Les Bleus" will face in the qualifying rounds for the 2022 World Cup, which will start next September.
He added, "I love to see my national team at the top always. We must believe in ourselves, and we will come back stronger." Benzema praised all his teammates, the coaching staff, and everyone who supported him upon his return to the national team, expressing gratitude to France for the warm welcome back to the team.
Despite being 33 years old, Benzema has no intention of retiring from international play and plans to participate in other major tournaments with "Les Bleus," starting with the 2022 World Cup, which will kick off its qualifying matches in September.
