RMC Sport are reporting that Karim Benzema (35) rejected Emmanuel Macron’s offer to take the presidential plane in order to attend Sunday’s World Cup final between France and Argentina.
Benzema is not expected to be present at the final of the tournament in Qatar. The Real Madrid forward was initially part of the squad, but suffered an injury just days before the beginning of the tournament. He had arrived short on fitness, but the injury sustained isn’t thought to be related to those issues.
Since his departure, Benzema has made no contact with the France staff, according to L’Équipe. The French publication report that the already “fragile” relationship between the player and Didier Deschamps has further deteriorated. Benzema wanted to stay at the World Cup, thinking that he would have the chance to recover and feature in the tournament, but Deschamps made the decision to send him home. The forward returned to training with Real Madrid around a week ago.
Whilst it was clear that Benzema wouldn’t appear in a sporting capacity, there was a chance that he would still attend the final, with his teammates looking to retain their World Cup title. However, RMC have now revealed that Benzema has rejected the chance to fly with Macron in his presidential plane in order to attend the match. Christopher Nkunku has accepted the offer, whilst Paul Pogba, Presnel Kimpembe and Ngolo Kanté will all be in attendance.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
