“The French team seems a little far away, but you never know. » This little sentence, slipped by Karim Benzema into the columns of the daily newspaper A.S.
this weekend, had the effect of a spark. At first glance, the idea makes you smile. The person concerned will be 38 years old next December, he plays in Saudi Arabia and retired internationally in the post-World Cup 2022 fracas. However, brushing this hypothesis aside would be an error of analysis. Because behind this “you never know” there is an implacable logic, an alignment of the planets which makes the unthinkable suddenly credible. Benzema does not dream; he calculates. And he has three excellent reasons to believe it.
The X factor is called Zinédine Zidane
It is the keystone of the building. The Didier Deschamps era will end, barring any drama, after the 2026 World Cup. His designated successor, the one that all the French people are waiting for, is Zinédine Zidane. However, the relationship between “ZZ” and “KB9” goes beyond the professional framework. Zidane said it: he is “like a big brother” to Benzema. Together they conquered Europe with Real Madrid. If Zidane takes the reins in the summer of 2026, the counters will be reset to zero. The argument of age will fade in the face of the absolute confidence that the technician has in his former number 9. Benzema knows that if the door must reopen, it is Zidane who holds the key. And he won’t leave this key in the lock.
Benzema’s astonishing bet: what if he played again one day with the blue jersey?
Age and Saudi Arabia: false debates
Skeptics will point to his age and his championship. But the recent history of the Blues proves them wrong. Olivier Giroud proved that you could be a pillar of the selection until almost 38 years old, by being decisive in the quarter-final of Euro 2024. Better yet: the case of N’Golo Kanté. He, also exiled in Saudi Arabia, also said to be “finished” for the very high level, was recalled by Deschamps and shone during the last Euro. If Kanté can do it, why not Benzema, who maintains impeccable physical condition at Al-Ittihad and sees himself playing for two more years? Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to take their respective selections well beyond the usual standards. Modern football has pushed biological boundaries, and Benzema is an athlete of that caliber.
Benzema could fix the 2022 anomaly
Finally, there is the psychological dimension, this invisible driving force of great champions: the feeling of unfinished business. The end of the story between Benzema and the Blues, this nighttime departure from Doha due to an injury, without being replaced, leaves a bitter taste of injustice. Benzema is a competitor injured by this exit through the back door. He has only played one World Cup (2014). His record in Blue (97 caps, 37 goals) does not reflect his immense talent. Coming back, even for a mentor or “super-sub” role under Zidane, would be an opportunity to come full circle, to transform the ellipsis into a glorious end point.
So no, Karim Benzema is not crazy. He is lucid. He knows that as long as his legs are holding and Zidane is in the waiting room, the story is not over. He is right to leave the door ajar. Because in football, and especially with these two men, “never” is a word that does not exist.
