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DOHA, Qatar — Karim Benzema left the Al Messila resort, the luxurious residence the place the France group are staying, earlier than 7 a.m. on Sunday morning. He took the 8.08 a.m. Qatar Airways QR149 flight to Madrid and was again in his home within the Spanish capital by 2 p.m. native time. That is how his 2022 World Cup ended: over earlier than the competitors even began.
Not all of his teammates received to say a correct goodbye, both: Benzema did not get again to his room till late Saturday, following his scans on the Aspetar hospital in Doha, after everybody had gone to sleep, and he was gone when the squad awoke Sunday morning. Eduardo Camavinga, his teammate at Actual Madrid, informed the media that he’d been exchanging textual content messages with Benzema and that the striker was completely devastated. Would not you be feeling the identical?
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On Monday, when ESPN had a chat with the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner in Paris, he had a giant smile on his face, saying that he felt good and was wanting ahead to enjoying this match with the intention of serving to Les Bleus defend the World Cup title they received in Russia 4 years in the past. Quick ahead lower than per week and he is out of the entire thing with out enjoying a single minute. He had waited eight years to play one other World Cup, after being a part of the 2014 squad that made it to the quarterfinals and lacking out on Russia. Benzema turns 35 subsequent month, so this was prone to be his final shot. After disappointment in Doha, he’ll be hoping it will not be.
The squad felt a bit KO’ed, and virtually dizzied, by the information. After so many core gamers pulled out previous to the squad announcement, it was onerous to simply accept that they had been dropping one other key participant.
Goalkeeper Mike Maignan and midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante had been dominated out in latest weeks, just for defender Presnel Kimpembe, midfielder Christopher Nkunku and now Benzema to be sidelined previously week alone. That is 4 starters (Pogba, Kante, Kimpembe, Benzema), a prime back-up keeper (Maignan) and a flexible ahead who can be your first sub (Nkunku) if chasing, or controlling, the sport. Coach Dider Deschamps determined to not exchange Benzema and to stay with 25 gamers. The reasoning is that each participant is on vacation with their households proper now, most of them having fun with unique locations like Miami or Dubai and missing the time to prepare bodily for the pains of a World Cup.
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Together with the psychological impression of those accidents, losses to the squad and Deschamps’ preparations for the match, they’ve utterly modified the dynamic. Taking part in with Olivier Giroud up entrance may be very totally different than enjoying with Benzema as a No. 9: the latter loves the liberty of the position, enjoying creator as a lot as finisher, whereas Giroud is extra of a standard centre-forward, wonderful together with his again to purpose and as a pivot. Les Bleus actually know the right way to play with Giroud — who was a giant a part of their successful group in 2018, although he did not rating in Russia — and the likes of Mbappe and Griezmann mesh effectively round him.
As for the AC Milan striker, Benzema’s damage marks one other exceptional twist in his unimaginable profession. Just a few weeks in the past, Deschamps was reluctant to name Giroud up for the World Cup. Now, he’ll begin and will get each likelihood to satisfy his final dream, which is to catch and overtake Thierry Henry as the highest males’s scorer in France nationwide group historical past. Giroud is on 49 (in 114 caps, or 0.43 objectives per recreation) whereas Henry has 51 (123 video games, or 0.41 purpose per recreation), so historical past might be made in Doha this winter.
No matter Giroud’s performances, Benzema’s absence signifies that Mbappe additionally now has to step up much more. If France wish to do effectively, he has to take over, be the chief and ship. That is the stage he desires, and has all the time needed. And so, it is his likelihood to point out the entire world that the prodigious child from 2018, the one teenager (in addition to Pele) to attain in a World Cup last, is now a longtime, world-class famous person who will make the distinction in a match like this one. Huge levels belong to massive gamers, so let’s examine it, Kylian.
On Tuesday, France get a recreation with Australia to start out the competitors, identical to they did in 2018. It might be omen, however equally, it’s a entice. They are going to be aggressive and bodily, trying to benefit from set items and never give France any area. It’s a problem to start out with, particularly after the Benzema drama.
Deschamps’ message to the gamers has been to make use of the frustration of those absentees to turn out to be stronger as a gaggle, be extra united and to faucet into their combating mentality. They owe that to the celebrities that helped get them to this World Cup, solely to be left watching from residence.
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