Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema will miss the entirety of the World Cup through injury, France have confirmed on the eve of the Qatar tournament.
The Real Madrid frontman was believed to be on a bespoke recovery plan after suffering knee and hamstring issues and barely featuring at club level in the month before the mid-season break, playing just 26 minutes in total, with Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps initially expressing optimism over his readiness for the competition.
