It has been claimed that Karim Benzema could make a stunning France return for the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina.
Les Bleus are now one step closer to defending their title after beating tournament dark horses Morocco in the semi-finals 2-0 on Wednesday night, courtesy of goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani.
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Their victory also marked the first time a nation has reached back-to-back finals since Brazil did so in 1998 and 2002.
However, despite having made it all the way to the last match of the competition, there were some major concerns in the French squad in the lead-up to the tournament and at the beginning of it.
The team was riddled with injuries, with the likes of N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba being ruled out a few weeks before the showpiece kicked off, while Christopher Nkunku and Karim Benzema were forced to sit out the tournament after the team had landed in Qatar.
The latter was expected to be a huge miss for the European giants, especially after a sensational 2022 in which he won two major club titles and a Ballon d'Or award.
However, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud have stepped up in Benzema's absence, with the former netting five times so far while the latter has found the back of the net on four occasions and became France's all-time leading goalscorer in the process.
Giroud, though, did not have the best of games against the Atlas Lions and was substituted off in the 65th minute, and with Benzema back in training with Real Madrid following his recent injury, there have been suggestions that he could make a stunning return to the Les Bleus squad for the final in place of the AC Milan star.
He would be allowed to do so because he was never replaced in the squad following his initial selection, meaning he is still technically part of the team. It is for this reason that he could also get a winner's medal if France win the tournament, although this would be at the French Football Federation's discretion.
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Following their victory Morocco, France manager Didier Deschamps was asked if the Los Blancos talisman could return to Qatar and play in the final, and he refused to give an answer.
"I'd prefer to move on to the next question," the head coach said, according to Metro.
Deschamps was also asked about a potential Benzema return during the group stage a few weeks ago, and at the time he said: "Wow. Well, I'm not sure [what to say], that's really not something that I'm thinking about. You seem to know a lot about the situation but I haven't really been following who has been saying what.
"I talked to Karim after he left and you know the situation, and we heard how long it was going to take for him to recover.
"So I don't really know what you're trying to imply. I have 24 players in my squad and I'm happy with the squad I have.
"Some players are missing, [Presnel] Kimpembe and [Paul] Pogba are missing too, and of course I talk with them.
"But it's up to you if you want to speculate and imagine scenarios. That's not what I'm focusing on at the moment."
Read: Hakimi's father: Why my son chose Morocco over Spain
While it remains to be seen if Benzema will return to Qatar, France and Argentina are now set to lock horns at the Lusail Stadium in the final on Sunday, and they will be meeting for the second World Cup in a row after their 2018 round of 16 tie, in which Les Bleus claimed a 4-3 victory.
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