The Spanish newspaper AS revealed the details of the last hours leading up to the exclusion of Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid striker, from the French national team's camp during the 2022 Qatar World Cup. According to the report, Benzema felt some pain during a training session with the French national team before the opening match of the World Cup.
A medical diagnosis from the French national team's doctor indicated that Benzema was suffering from a quadriceps injury in his left leg, which he communicated to Real Madrid's medical staff. At that time, Benzema believed his injury was minor and that he would be ready to participate with the national team in less than ten days, which led him to decide to stay with his country’s team.
However, a surprise occurred when Benzema was visited by team doctor Lojal and national team coach Didier Deschamps in his room at the "Les Bleus" hotel in Qatar. During the visit, Deschamps remained silent and left the matter to the doctor, who briefly informed Benzema about his exclusion, saying, "I'm sorry, Karim, but you have to leave." The coach continued to remain silent after Lojal's statement.
At that moment, Benzema fully realized that Deschamps wanted to dismiss him and found the appropriate justification for the inclusion of his preferred player, Olivier Giroud. Following this incident, Benzema decided not to argue with the national team's doctor or insist on staying until his recovery, especially since he was confident he would be ready for the round of 16 in the World Cup at most.
Later, Benzema packed his bags and took a quick flight back to Madrid, starting his recovery process at Real Madrid's training facility the next day. After a week of injury, Benzema fully recovered and then went on vacation to Réunion Island. The Spanish newspaper also confirmed that Lojal later admitted to Benzema that "the harsh message he conveyed to him before his departure was an order from Deschamps, and he had no choice but to carry out the task he was assigned."
Benzema announced his retirement from international football after France lost the World Cup final to Argentina, due to the ongoing crisis with coach Didier Deschamps.
