DOHA, Qatar — Karim Benzema, the Real Madrid forward seen as crucial to France’s hopes of becoming the first team to retain the World Cup in more than half a century, has been forced to pull out of the tournament with an injury barely 24 hours before it starts.
The 34-year-old Benzema, who last month won the Ballon d’Or, the prestigious award that anoints the world player of the year, sustained an injury to his left thigh during a training session on Saturday. He was immediately ruled out of France’s opening game against Australia, but scans later confirmed the damage was severe enough that he would not recover in time to play any part in the tournament.