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#1 Karim Benzema
Frenchman Karim Benzema will be not be going to the World Cup with Didier Deschamps squad. The Real Madrid striker has not been in the national team since his involvement in a sex scandal that involved former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
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Deschamps opted not to select the Frenchman for Euro 2016 and lost the final at home to Portugal. Eager to get back to playing for France, Benzema knows there is nothing he could do about the decision and misses out on another major competition with France.
A fantastic finisher and footballer, Benzema is France's leading striker and missed out on the spot due to past unresolved problems with the national team and its manager. Benzema has been a crucial and integral part of the Madrid setup for years and been highly successful.
A host of former French players had backed the player to be selected and included in France's contingent, but it was not to be. In great form for his club, Benzema along with a number of Madrid players are in line to lift their third consecutive Champions League trophy.
