Didier Deschamps has squashed any rumours that Karim Benzema could make a return to the France squad.
France booked their place in the World Cup final thanks to a 2-0 win against Morocco in Wednesday’s semi-final.
They will now face off against Argentina, who defeated Croatia earlier in the week, on Sunday evening.
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Although France has looked incredible so far in the tournament, their squad isn’t near as strong as it could be. Out of all the injury losses that they have suffered, one sticks out above the rest.
Benzema was ruled out of the tournament with a quadriceps tear, a week before France’s opening game. The 2022 Balon d’Or winner was considered a major loss to the team, and many questioned their odds of going all the way.
But so far, he hasn’t been missed with Olivier Giroud doing an outstanding job up front.
Rumours started to circulate that Benzema may be back in the squad for the final, but Deschamps shut these down immediately.
Is Karim Benzema back for the final?? 👀#BBCWorldCup #FifaWorldCup pic.twitter.com/M9wy25lwcD
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 14, 2022
There’s an argument to be made that even if by some miracle he returns, he shouldn’t start over Giroud. The former Arsenal man has defied his critics and become his nations all-time leading goal scorer.