At 37, Karim Benzema reopens, on December 12, 2025, the door to the Blues: if he is called, he will come. From Jeddah, the Al-Ittihad striker says he is ready for 2026, while Didier Deschamps has not spoken publicly. In France, the debate is growing: sporting interest, locker room balance, message to the new generation. One simple question remains: what utility for the team?
What Benzema says today
At 37, Karim Benzema reopens a debate that was thought to be closed. In an interview with the sports press, the Al-Ittihad striker suggests that a return to the French national football team is not out of reach. It is not a publicity stunt, rather a simple formula: if 2026 selection call, he will respond. The former international, Ballon d’Or 2022, refuses the easy romanticism of a last lap: he projects himself into the competition and talks about work, level, and intact desire.
In the background, a message: he is ready. No staging, no ultimatum. Only the idea that his still vibrant career can cross paths with the blue jersey one last time. For him, the 2026 World Cup remains a stimulating horizon rather than a distant myth.
"If I’m called for a World Cup, I won’t say no," he summarizes, without emphasis.
Deschamps, the selection, and the lines of force
On the side of Didier Deschamps, coach of the French team, nothing has been made official. No recent statement from the coach confirms or excludes a recall. This is where comments and conjectures settle. Some consultants believe that the coach will not go back on a page turned after 2022. Others see in his management of statuses an open door, if the interest of the French Team requires it.
It is necessary to recall the context: since Euro 2024, the offensive hierarchy has adjusted around Kylian Mbappé 2026 and creative wingers (profile Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, etc.), while 2026 center-forwards (Marcus Thuram, Randal Kolo Muani, Jean-Philippe Mateta) have gained playing time. The 2026 attack animation tested by the Blues leans towards a 4-2-3-1. In this scheme, the point and the number 10 position are already contested areas.
Therefore, the question is not only sentimental: where and how to integrate Benzema into the French team list without unbalancing the structure? The coach has often claimed the "reoxygenation" of his group. Recalling a Ballon d’Or would be a strong gesture, but in the service of a collective interest that he alone arbitrates.
The debate: balance, statuses, and message to the new generation
The return of an icon questions the locker room as much as the tactics. A player with a majestic record is not summoned lightly. What place? Starter if form demands it? Impact player in a rotation designed for knockout matches? Discreet leader rather than a headliner?
The arguments "against" are threefold: the balance found without him, the message sent to those pushing (Zaïre-Emery, Doué, Barcola, Akliouche…), and the weight of the 2022 past. The arguments "for" refer to Benzema’s unique experience and his exceptional game reading. Moreover, he has the ability to enhance partners, including Mbappé. Finally, the value of a number 9 lies in his versatility: combining, holding, finishing.
The discussion remains open: it does not oppose "youth" and "old world," but questions the best mix for July 2026.
Portrait: a competitor facing time
Benzema has never stopped defining himself by work. He insists on routines that have become method: diet, care, repetitions, concentration. Far from glorifications, he speaks of duration: "two more years" at a high level, he says, as one sets a peak. In Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi Pro League has intensified, he continues and assumes a role of reference for younger teammates. The testimony of a partner – impressed by his influence daily – goes in this direction: the status is read in training as much as in the match.
The competitor, in him, is not a posture. There is the child from Bron, the player trained at Olympique Lyonnais. Then, the rise in Madrid, followed by the return to the Middle East in a league project. France has never been far: not as a refuge, but as a measure – the demand for the very high level applied to oneself.
Lyon in the background: Aulas, the city hall, and OL
Lyon’s current events invite themselves into the story. Jean-Michel Aulas, former president of OL, is moving towards the 2026 municipal elections in Lyon. Benzema, for his part, does not play the tightrope walker: he salutes the man and judges that he would be "excellent" for the city. The statement is not a political program, rather a personal support from someone who grew up under the Lyon emblem.
This sequence says two things. First, the link – never broken – between the player and his formative city. Then, the way a sports figure can project into the city without denying his discretion. As for a return to OL as a player, it remains conditional: Benzema opens the door, but promises nothing.
Sporting scenario: where to place him, in what role?
In the hypothesis of a call-up, two scenarios emerge. The first: Benzema at the point, with Mbappé shifting to one side, a creative number 10 as a relay (profile Olise), and interior wingers capable of playing between the lines (Dembélé). The second: Benzema as an old-fashioned false 9, dropping back to attract and serve, with Mbappé maintaining the depth.
The management of minutes remains. A 38-year-old player in June 2026 is not managed like a U-23. In tournaments and during decisive France football matches, energy is a resource; lucidity, a competitive advantage. The Blues have already succeeded without him, with high-level France football matches – 2022 final, Euro 2024 semi-final – and it is precisely for this reason that his potential return can only be considered through the lens of the group.
Contract, horizon, and OL hypothesis
Contractually, Benzema is tied to Al-Ittihad until 06/2026. He reminds us: the time is not for rupture, even less for excitement. Asked about OL, he responds with measure: the idea of a return does not frighten him, but nothing is decided. He mainly wants to play more, win, transmit. Summer 2026 concentrates all perspectives: the World Cup in Canada–United States–Mexico and, beyond, a final chapter to write somewhere.
Express timeline
- 2014: only World Cup played by Benzema, in Brazil.
- 2015–2020: long absence from the selection.
- June 2021: return to the Blues for Euro 2021.
- November–December 2022: injury before the 2022 World Cup, end of the Qatar adventure.
- 2023–2024: settling in Saudi Arabia (Al-Ittihad), selection reshaped.
- December 11–12, 2025: public statements opening the possibility of a comeback.
- Summer 2026: World Cup with 48 teams.
What we know / What remains uncertain
What we know:
- Benzema publicly assumes the idea of a return to the Blues if called.
- He maintains his condition and projects himself for two more years at the high level.
- He explicitly supports Jean-Michel Aulas for the 2026 municipal elections in Lyon.
- His contract binds him to Al-Ittihad until June 2026.
What remains uncertain:
- The exact position of Didier Deschamps: no direct recent statement closes or opens the door.
- The place reserved for him by the offensive hierarchy (point, rotation, impact role).
- The overall balance: what effect on Mbappé, on the youngsters, on the cohesion?
2022, the injury, and the traces
Qatar remains a sensitive point in the story. The injury, the rapid evacuation from the group, the misunderstandings, and the words published on social networks have left scars. Everyone has their version; what matters for 2026 is the ability of the whole to look forward. Benzema, for his part, has stopped maintaining the dispute. The selection has continued to reach the very high level.
This past should neither sanctify nor disqualify the future. It only reminds us that a recall would only be possible with a clear framework and established roles. Moreover, unambiguous communication between staff and players is essential.
Reactions and media caution
Public reactions diverge. Some consultants insist that a return is improbable. Others believe it would be logical if Benzema’s form remains high. There is also the fear of an imbalance or an ambiguous signal sent to the new generation. The general tone: caution. With a constant: no one decides outside the coach.
The range of outcomes: from simple dialogue to call-up
Between December 2025 and June 2026, several scenarios coexist. The simplest: nothing changes, the Blues continue to advance with their current framework and Benzema continues his journey in Jeddah. Another: a direct exchange takes place, clarifying expectations and potential role, without necessarily leading to a list. The last, the most visible: a late call-up to the French team list, linked to a specific need (profile, injury, management of a key match), and accepted by all stakeholders.
In any case, the arbitration will be sporting. It will engage the coherence of the project and the life of the group. The contours of a useful role exist; the necessity remains to be demonstrated.
Provisional verdict
The probability of a return is not a certainty. It is a serious possibility because the interested party assumes the idea. However, it is fragile since time passes and the selection has moved on without him. Between nostalgia and pragmatism, the essential remains: if Deschamps–Benzema judges that France gains from it, the door will open. Otherwise, Karim Benzema’s career will continue to write elsewhere this same phrase: seek the best.