France World Cup squad 2022: Benzema set for first tournament since 2014

Injured Varane also named in Deschamps' squad despite recovering from injury

France head coach Didier Deschamps speaks during a press conference in Paris after announcing his squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. AFP

Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema is set for his first World Cup appearance since 2014 after France coach Didier Deschamps on Wednesday named his squad for Qatar 2022.

Deschamps selected 25 of a possible 26 players for the tournament, where France will attempt to become the first team to defend their World Cup title since Brazil in 1962.

Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has been included despite his recent injury problems, while 36-year-old striker Olivier Giroud was also called up.

Eleven members of the 2018 title-winning squad return, including captain Hugo Lloris and reserve goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, along with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

Benzema, meanwhile, was frozen out of the France team for five-and-a-half years but returned ahead of last summer's European Championship. The striker has since won his first Ballon d'Or for his starring role in Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League-double winning campaign last season.

Giroud is two goals away from equalling Thierry Henry's national record of 51 but has often been overlooked since Benzema's recall. The former Arsenal and Chelsea forward, now with AC Milan, would become France's oldest outfield player at a World Cup.

"You know tonight, I made some people unhappy. I am well aware of that," Deschamps told TF1. "I made 25 players happy, but they will ... all want to be in the starting 11. But it won't be possible, but it's the strength of the group that will be more important."

Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Presnel Kimpembe was picked despite thigh and Achilles problems which have limited him to five appearances since the start of September.

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  Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d'Or award during the Ballon d'Or ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris on October 17, 2022 in Paris. Getty Images

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  Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d'Or award from Zinedine Zidane next to his mother Malika Benzema, his son Ibrahim and his father Hafid Benzema. Getty Images

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  Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba speak on stage during the Ballon d'Or ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet in Paris. Getty Images

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  Karim Benzema receives the Ballon d'Or award from Zinedine Zidane next to his mother Malika Benzema, his son Ibrahim and his father Hafid Benzema. Getty Images

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  Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, right, applauds Karim Benzema after receiving the Ballon d'Or award. Getty Images

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  Karim Benzema gives a thumbs up. Getty Images

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  Karim Benzema of Real Madrid kisses his father Hafid Benzema next to his mother Wahida Djebbara. EPA

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  Didier Drigba, Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema and French-British TV journalist Sandy Heribert. EPA

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  Real Madrid's Karim Benzema after winning the Ballon d'Or. Reuters

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  Real Madrid's Karim Benzema hugs former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane after winning the Ballon d'Or with former player and manager Zinedine Zidane. Reuters

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  Real Madrid's Karim Benzema after winning the Ballon d'Or. Reuters

Varane will have gone a month without playing by the time Les Bleus meet Australia in their opening game of the World Cup on November 22.

"The two cases are different," said Deschamps. "Kimpembe has had a little worry but he'll be available for his club for the last league match on Sunday.

"Varane has a longer-term injury but he too could be available against Australia if everything goes well."

Deschamps has plenty of cover in central defence with William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde and Ibrahima Konate in the squad. Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez can also fill in there.

Raphael Varane has been sidelined with injury since October 22. AP

Mandanda, 37, took the place of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who has been hampered by a calf injury.

Although a squad packed with talent, France are without first-choice midfield pair Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, leaving Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot as the probable starters.

They will be supported by Monaco's Youssouf Fofana, Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga and Marseille duo Jordan Veretout and Matteo Guendouzi.

France squad for 2022 World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Alphonse Areola

Defenders: Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, Benjamin Pavard, William Saliba, Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga, Youssouf Fofana, Matteo Guendouzi, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jordan Veretout

Forwards: Karim Benzema, Kingsley Coman, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Christopher Nkunku

France's Road to Qatar 2022

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  HOW FRANCE QUALIFIED FOR WORLD CUP 2022: (Group D) March 24, 2021. France 1 (Griezmann 19') Ukraine 1 (Sydorchuk 57'): The world champions took a deserved lead courtesy of a fine Antoine Griezmann finish, only for the Ukraine to equalise via a big deflection that wrong-footed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. France attacker Olivier Giroud said: "When you don't score the second goal against a team defending very well with determination ... then it's hard." AFP

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  March 28, 2021. Kazakhstan 0 France 2 (Dembele 19', Malyy og 44'): Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele put France on their way to a first victory of the campaign following good work from Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial. A headed own goal completed the victory. Manager Didier Deschamps said: “It’s a good result even if we could have won by more goals ... the only regret here was that we didn’t take our chances in the second half." AFP

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  March 31, 2021. Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 France 1 (Griezmann 60'): Hugo Lloris produced several key saves as France secured a narrow win thanks to Antoine Griezmann's second-half goal. Griezmann said: "It was a difficult game. We had a bit of fatigue and a bit of trouble playing against five at the back. We know people expect things from us in every game." EPA

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  September 1, 2021. France 1 (Griezmann 39') Bosnia 1 (Dzeko 36'): Another Griezmann goal earned 10-man France a point after Inter Milan's Edin Dzeko had put Bosnia in front. Griezmann had re-joined Atletico Madrid from Barcelona less than 24 hours earlier, while Jules Kounde was sent off for the hosts. Deschamps said: " It is obviously harder with 10 men. We had some chances but it is not the result we were looking for." AFP

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  September 4, 2021 Ukraine 1 (Shaparenko 44') France 1 (Martial 50'): Anthony Martial bundled in a close-range equaliser for only his second international goal - and first since 2016 - as the world champions' stuttering World Cup qualifying campaign continued. "It was much better in the second half and we have regrets in the first as we conceded the goal just after missing a chance," said Deschamps. Reuters

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  September 7, 2021. France 2 (Griezmann 25, 53') Finland 0: A Griezmann double took the striker level with Michel Platini on 41 goals for his country, leaving him 10 behind all-time top scorer Thierry Henry and five short of Olivier Giroud. Captain Lloris said: “It’s not easy to stay at the top level and Antoine has done it for many years now. He’s in the top three scorers of all-time for France and soon will have 100 caps." Reuters

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  November 13, 2021. France 8 (Mbappe 6', 12', 32', 87', Benzema 55', 59', Rabiot 75', Griezmann pen 84') Kazakhstan 0: Kylian Mbappe notched his first hat-trick for France as the reigning world champions secured their place at next year's World Cup in Qatar in style. It was the first hat-trick by a France player in a competitive international since Dominique Rocheteau in 1985. "A World Cup is a dream, an aim, it's everything and ... We're going over there to win it," Mbappe said. AFP

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  November 16, 2021. Finland 0 France 2 (Benzema 66', Mbappe 76'): Substitute Karim Benzema combined with Mbappe for the opening goal while the prolific PSG striker followed on from his four against Kazakhstan with another in Helsinki. "We wanted to finish on a high and we're happy we did it," said Benzema. "Now we're looking forward to the World Cup. With the team we have it's natural to think about [winning] it." AFP