During a live interview on Instagram with rapper Rohff on Thursday night, Karim Benzema did not completely rule out the possibility of returning to the French national team if Zinedine Zidane were to become the coach.
Karim Benzema and the French national team may not be completely over. During a live interview on Instagram with rapper Rohff on Thursday night, the Al-Hilal striker did not completely close the door on a return to the national team.
Asked about the subject by the rapper if Zinedine Zidane succeeds Didier Deschamps as the national team coach after the 2026 World Cup, KB9 first questions his age. At the time of Euro 2028, the next major international competition, Benzema will be 40 years old.
“If I continue to perform well and be in shape, you never know,” explained the former Real Madrid striker. “If there is a spot. In any case, I am doing everything to stay in shape.” An open door for the successor to Didier Deschamps, who is likely to be Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane and Benzema had a successful partnership at Real Madrid. During ZZ’s first experience as a first-team coach at Real, Karim Benzema was in dazzling form and the former Lyon player guided the team to, among other titles, a fantastic hat-trick in the Champions League (2016, 2017, and 2018). This brings back good memories for Benzema and increases his desire to be coached by the Ballon d’Or 1998 winner again.
Benzema has made 97 appearances for the French national team, with his last one dating back to June 13, 2022, in a Nations League group stage match. Before that, Benzema had been absent from the squad for almost six years, between 2015 and 2021.
The Mathieu Valbuena sextape scandal and his interview with the Spanish press where he indicated that Deschamps had “bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France” heavily influenced the current coach’s decision not to call up the Real Madrid striker, despite his excellent performances at club level.
