Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international football a day after France lost the World Cup final.
Benzema who is celebrating his birthday today missed the World Cup in Qatar after suffering an injury in training the day before the start of the tournament and scored 37 times in 97 appearances for France.
In a statement posted on Twitter accompanied by a photo of him in France colors, Benzema said: “I made the effort and mistakes it took to be where I am today and I’m proud of it! I wrote my story and ours is ending.”
Also Read: Reserved youth league discussed by FKFPL coaches
Benzema was France’s top scorer at the 2014 World Cup but did not play in the country’s victorious 2018 World Cup campaign because he was still exiled from the national team for his alleged role in a sex-tape scandal with then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
He was excluded from the national team from October 2015 until his recall by Deschamps in May last year and scored freely for France with 10 goals in 16 games after his return to reach 37 overall.
His most impressive run of performances came in last season’s Champions League as he led Madrid to the title – his fifth in Europe’s top competition – with 15 goals. He has moved up to second place on Madrid’s all-time scoring list with 329 goals.
Also Read: FKFPL Week Six fixtures
