France striker Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to a thigh injury sustained during training.
Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d’Or, awarded to world football’s player of the year, after helping Real Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga.
The French national team said he has a thigh injury and will not be able to participate in the tournament.
“The entire team shares Kareem’s grief and wishes him a speedy recovery,” he added.
The French football federation said an MRI scan had confirmed a thigh muscle injury “which will require a three-week recovery period”.
In Group D, France will face Australia on November 22, Denmark on November 26 and Tunisia on November 30.
Head coach Didier Deschamps has until Monday to name a replacement and the injury to 34-year-old Benzema, who has scored 37 times in 97 appearances for France, is another blow for the World Cup holders.
They are already without midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante through injury, while Manchester United defender Raphael Varane is trying to be fit to play after missing his last five club matches.
On Wednesday, RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunko was ruled out of the tournament after missing training, with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randall Kolo Mewani called up as a replacement.
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is one of the possible options that could come in for Benzema, who has been sidelined with a thigh problem since October.
The Real Madrid man had played less than half an hour in his club’s last six games.
He underwent a medical on Saturday after missing training with the injury – the first time he took part in a full training session since the World Cup squad assembled last week.
“I’m very sad for Karim who made this World Cup a big goal,” said Deschamps.
“Despite this new setback, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything we can to meet the enormous challenge that awaits us.”
