Team Sportstar

Karim Benzema did not make a single appearance in the 2022 World Cup due to a thigh injury. | Photo Credit: Reuters

France begins its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Senegal on Tuesday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

However, Les Bleus were without Karim Benzema when the lineup was announced for the campaign opener.

The Al Hilal forward scored nine goals and assisted two during the Saudi Pro League 2025-26.

However, he was not in the World Cup squad since he retired from international football in 2022 after the last edition of the quadrennial event. He did not feature in a single game in that edition either after suffering a quadriceps injury.

Benzema made 97 appearances and scored 37 goals for France but his international career was not as prolific as his club career. The forward was excluded from the 2018 squad as well when the side won the title. It was because he was undergoing an internal investigation for blackmailing a teammate.

He made it back to the team for Euro 2020, where he scored four goals, before eventually dropping out of the squad for the next tournaments due to injuries.

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Published on Jun 16, 2026