Karim Benzema Makes a Return To French National Team

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema returned to the Les Blue of France on Tuesday after he was included in the list of 26 players traveling to the European Championship for the first time since 2015.

The striker was dropped from the French national team, despite scoring a brace for them in his last game for the side in 2015, after sexual allegations were raised against the former Lyon striker by an ex-national team colleague.

Benzema then missed the 2016 Euro Championship hosted in the country and also missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup triumph in Russia.

Benzema has 29 goals and 8 assists in all competitions for the Los Blancos this season as they fight for the La Liga title until the final day of the season.

He also had 27 goals in 81 matches for the French national team before the break from the national team with his last game coming against Armenia in a 4-0 friendly win.

Fellow Real Madrid teammate and defender Raphael Varane made the cut as well as Barcelona’s Clement Lenglet and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.

There was a place for Barcelona’s Antoine Griezman and Ousmane Dembele, Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Lemar, PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, and Marcus Thuram of Monchengladbach but Manchester United’s Anthony Martial was missing despite the addition of fellow United teammate Paul Pogba.

France is in Group F with fellow powerhouses, Germany, Portugal, and Hungary.

France squad

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Mike Maignan (LOSC), Steve Mandanda (Marseille).

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Leo Dubois (Lyon), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Jules Kounde (Sevilla), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea).

Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich).

Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach).