Karim Benzema has announced his retirement from international football, just a day after France suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner missed the tournament in Qatar with a thigh injury and later declined an invite from French president Emmanuel Macron to attend Sunday’s final at the Lusail Stadium in Doha.
“I’ve made the efforts and mistakes that were necessary for me to be where I am today and I’m proud of it! I’ve written my story and ours comes to an end,” Benzema said in a post on Instagram on Monday.
Benzema was France’s top scorer at the 2014 World Cup, but he was later exiled from the team for his alleged role in a sex-tape scandal with then-international teammate Mathieu Valbuena, causing him to miss the country’s 2018 World Cup title win.
France head coach Didier Deschamps recalled him for last year’s European Championship, where he was the team’s top scorer.
He ends his international career with 37 goals in 97 games.
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