Ballon D'Or Winner Karim Benzema Announces Ending International Career With France

Karim Benzema, who made his national debut on March 28, 2007 against Austria, scored a total of 37 goals in 97 games for France national football team.

Karim Benzema had brought curtains to his international career post France's World Cup final loss to Argentina.

Source : Screengrab taken from Twitter

Ballon D'or winner Karim Benzema, on Monday, announced ending International career with France after their heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Lionel Messi's Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final at Qatar. Benzema was not part of France's World Cup campaign due to a thigh injury. The Real Madrid megastar, who made his national debut on March 28, 2007 against Austria, scored a total of 37 goals in 97 games for France national football team. He scored his national career's maiden goal against Faroe Island in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualification match.

Official. Karim Benzema announces his retirement from international football 🚨🇫🇷 #Benzema

He leaves the French national team. pic.twitter.com/FQMNi0TFu1

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 19, 2022

"I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I'm proud of it! I have written my story and ours is ending," Benzema wrote on his Twtiter account.

J’ai fait les efforts et les erreurs qu’il fallait pour être là où je suis aujourd’hui et j’en suis fier !
J’ai écrit mon histoire et la nôtre prend fin. #Nueve pic.twitter.com/7LYEzbpHEs

— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) December 19, 2022

Benzema is at number five in the list of players with most goals for France.  The star player participated in the Euro Cup in 2008 and 2012 for the national team.  He also played in the 2014 World Cup. Although he was not part of France's World Cup in 2010 as he failed to secure a place, based on management's call.  In 2015, coach Didier Deschamps kept him out of the team for five years after he got involved in an off-field scandal.

For this reason, he could not participate in the final of the Euro Cup 2016 played in France and the FIFA World Cup played in Russia in 2018.  Benzema was part of teh French team that won the World Cup in 2018 in Russia. He was called back to the team in 2021 and took part in the Euro Cup. He scored four goals in this tournament.  However, the team was knocked out in round-16.