KEY POINTS

  • France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the semi-final
  • France will now take on Argentina in the final Sunday
  • Benzema suffered a thigh injury before France's opening game

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema could reportedly be allowed to join France's squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup final.

Benzema, the current Ballon d'Or holder, suffered a thigh injury just before France's opening game of the Qatar World Cup and was ruled out of the tournament. Fortunately, Benzema's absence did not hurt France much as the reigning champions have qualified for a second straight World Cup final.

France are set to lock horns with Lionel Messi's Argentina in the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium on Sunday.

Benzema, who has not kicked a ball in the ongoing tournament in Qatar, could return to the national side because of a loophole in FIFA guidelines. France had set a three-week timeline for Benzema to return to full fitness. The Real Madrid forward has returned in time and has been training without any issues since Saturday, reported Spanish outlet Marca.

France head coach Didier Deschamps never named a replacement for Benzema in their World Cup roster, which makes the forward eligible to return for the big finale.

After France's 2-0 win over Morocco in the semi-final, Deschamps was asked if Benzema was on his way back to the World Cup. The boss politely declined to say it was true. But he also didn't deny it.

"I don't really want to answer that question," Deschamps said following a long pause. "Next question. I do apologize," the French boss added.

Although Benzema has a massive lack of game time, he would be keen to play in Sunday's final mostly because he was not a part of the French side that won the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Benzema was not included in the World Cup squad four years ago because he was banned for allegedly blackmailing French teammate Matthieu Valbuena. Benzema wasn't called to the national team again until June 2021, almost six years after his last call-up, despite being arguably France's best forward.

France star Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the World Cup
AFP

Meanwhile, Benzema is into the final months of his contract with Real Madrid and an extension has not been agreed upon yet. It has been reported that top European clubs, including Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), are monitoring the player's situation. The Red Devils are preparing to lure Benzema to Old Trafford with a "crazy" lucrative deal.

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