Karim Benzema unfollows all but five of his ex-France teammates

Cameron Smith

• 23 Dec 2022 18:32 GMT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid superstar and current Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema has reportedly unfollowed all but five of his former France team-mates following their World Cup final loss to continue the fall-out from his non-involvement in the tournament.

The 34-year-old announced his decision to retire from the French national team following their defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.

Benzema didn't feature at all in the tournament after picking up an injury just days before the opening fixture, and wasn't involved in France's squad for the final despite returning to fitness.

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He was reportedly offered the chance to return to the squad for the final, but is said to have rejected the offer due to falling out with head coach Didier Deschamps.

It has been reported that Deschamps played a role in Benzema's decision to retire, and the veteran may consider reversing his international decision if Deschamps is replaced at the helm.

However, Benzema has clearly split the French camp itself and has now unfollowed all but five of his former international team-mates on social media.

READ: Man Utd offer ‘crazy’ salary to Benzema after Real Madrid ‘betrayal’

Who has Benzema unfollowed?

Benzema has taken his retirement seriously and has cut ties with most of his former international team-mates.

The only five France internationals that he still follows on Instagram are: Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Raphael Varane, Kylian Mbappe and Marcus Thuram.

Camavinga and Tchouameni both currently play with Benzema at Real Madrid, while Varane was a long-time team-mate of Benzema's at the Santiago Bernabeu before joining Manchester United in 2021.

Mbappe and Thuram are the only two France players that Benzema follows that he hasn't played with at club level.

Since Benzema announced his decision to retire from France duty, footage has emerged of captain Hugo Lloris giving the Real Madrid star a less than satisfactory look upon being re-introduced to the national team by Deschamps.