Karim Benzema’s France exile: Why the in-form Real Madrid star cannot return for

On Jul 3, 2020

Karim Benzema cannot get back in the France team despite being one of the world’s most in-form strikers for Real Madrid… but just like Eric Cantona and David Ginola, his international exile will not end

Karim Benzema is back on top form and producing some of his finest football
The 31-year-old has wound back the years for Real Madrid and is scoring for fun
Zinedine Zidane reignited the debate on whether France are foolish to snub him
Benzema’s relationship with France is messy and resulted in international exile
Like Eric Cantona and David Ginola before him, Benezma will likely never return
READ: Algeria appear to snub Benzema after striker acts to switch allegiance

Published: 19:24 EDT, 21 November 2019 | Updated: 20:03 EDT, 21 November 2019

Zinedine Zidane may have been able to reignite the debate over whether or not France are mad to overlook the talents of Karim Benzema – but it would probably take Zizou leaving Real Madrid and taking over from Didier Deschamps to actually get Benzema back in the team.

While it may be true that player-for-player Benzema looks a better bet than Olivier Giroud, Deschamps is winning games and tournaments without him and is under no where near enough pressure to forget past fall-outs and recall the Real Madrid forward.

As Benzema continues to be ignored it’s worth remembering that France have history when it comes to leaving out some of their most talented players.

Karim Benzema is producing the form which would see him an automatic Euro 2020 pick

However, his complex relationship with France means his international exile is set to continue

Just ask Eric Cantona and David Ginola what it’s like to be on the outside looking in – unloved and unforgiven.

Few forwards in world football have performed better over the last 12 months than Benzema. In the last round of Champions League matches he scored his 62nd goal in the competition. Now only Raul, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more in the European Cup.

Since Ronaldo left Real Madrid, Benzema has a better scoring record than his former strike partner. He is the only player who has really stepped up for the club since they sold the Portuguese.

He is playing the sort of football that would get him into any of the other final 23-man squads for next summer’s Euro 2020 but it’s all met with a shrug from Deschamps and the French Football Federation.

France boss Didier Deschamps is winning without Benezma and will not budge on his stance

The Real Madrid forward trains alongside Mathieu Valbuena in 2013 before the saga begun

They are not budging on their decision to jettison him after his suspension for alleged involvement in an attempt to blackmail international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena with a sex tape in 2015.

French Football President Noel Le Graet even said last week: ‘His time with France is over’.

For Cantona and Ginola there was also no way back. In 1996 when Aime Jacquet…