Real Madrid News
Benzema posts heart-warming message after being ruled out of the World Cup
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was ruled out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and following the news, the Ballon d’Or winner posted a message on his social media channels, expressing his disappointment.
“In my life, I never give up, but tonight I have to think about the team as I always do, so reason tells me to leave my place to someone who can help our team have a great World Cup. Thank you for all your messages of support,” wrote the veteran forward.
Didier Deschamps’ French national team has suffered several casualties ahead of the World Cup this season as apart from Benzema, the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, and Presnel Kimpembe have all been ruled out through injuries.
Speaking about the situation, of Benzema’s in particular, Deschamps said that despite the forward’s absence, the rest of the team will do everything possible to retain the title.
“I am very sad for Karim, who had made this World Cup an important goal. Despite this new blow, I have full confidence in my group. We will do everything we can to overcome the enormous challenge that awaits us,” the coach was quoted by MARCA.
For now, although there is no official confirmation Wissam Ben Yedder, Moussa Diaby, Anthony Martial and Martin Terrier are in line to replace the injured Benzema.
For Benzema, the 34-year-old has been battling fitness issues this season after virtually playing every game last campaign. Despite playing only seven La Liga games, he has scored five goals followed by an assist.
Benzema’s last appearance before the World Cup break came in Madrid’s 5-1 win over Celtic in Real Madrid’s final Champions League group stage game.
Marco Asensio is fighting for his future at Real Madrid. The 27-year-old winger is out of contract at the end of the season and there is no concrete decision made by the club over his renewal as of yet.
Some reports had suggested that the club had tabled an offer worth €4 million per year, which the Spaniard did not like as he sought a higher pay packet closer to around €6 million-a-year.
With his future a subject of intense speculation, Asensio had been linked with a move away to Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, closer to home, there were strong links to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona. Indeed, the Catalans have been touted as potential suitors for Asensio for quite some time now due to the fact that he is represented by Jorge Mendes.
The superagent has close ties with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and reports in Spain have suggested that the Real Madrid winger has, indeed, been offered to the current La Liga leaders.
Amidst these speculations, however, Asensio has seemingly made it clear as to where his heart lies as he awaits a decision on his future.
During last night’s El Clasico against Barcelona, the Real Madrid winger came on as a substitute and went on to score a goal, following which he celebrated at Camp Nou, pointing to the Real Madrid logo on his shirt, showing where his allegiances lie.
The goal, however, was disallowed by the VAR, and Los Blancos ended up losing the game 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Franck Kessie.
Earlier today, Asensio took to Instagram and posted a picture of him celebrating with his finger pointing to the Real Madrid logo, reiterating his commitment to the club amidst the links to Barcelona.
As for his disallowed goal, it sparked an angry reaction from Carlo Ancelotti, who questioned the legitimacy of the decision made by the VAR during his post-match press conference.
