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France bring Karim Benzema back after 6 years for Euro 2020
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Karim Benzema of Real Madrid looks on in the La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao at Estadio de San Mames in Bilbao, Spain, May 16, 2021. /CFP

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid looks on in the La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao at Estadio de San Mames in Bilbao, Spain, May 16, 2021. /CFP

Karim Benzema is back with the French men's national football team after six years of absence. He will contribute to the offense of Les Bleus (The Blues) in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Championship.

The 26-man lineup announced by manager Didier Deschamps on Tuesday is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Mike Maignan (Lille), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Leo Dubois (Olympique Lyonnais), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris St Germain), Jules Kounde (Sevilla), Clement Lenglet (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Midfielders: N'golo Kante (Chelsea), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham Hotspur), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Karim Benzema (L) of France poses for a group photo with his manager Didier Deschamps at the training base in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France, September 2, 2014. /CFP

Karim Benzema (L) of France poses for a group photo with his manager Didier Deschamps at the training base in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France, September 2, 2014. /CFP

Benzema, 33, scored 22 goals and eight assists in 33 games for Real Madrid this season. He's one of the reasons that Zinedine Zidane's team remain hopeful for the La Liga championship. Real trail Atletico Madrid by two points with one last game to go. Real will host Villarreal CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu while Atletico challenge Real Valladolid CF at José Zorrilla on Saturday.

Back in 2015, Benzema was removed from the national team because he was involved in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal. As a result, Deschamps did not recruit him for the European Championship at home in 2016. Benzema accused Deschamps of having "bowed to the pressure of a racist part of France" before the two fell out.

According to ESPN, Benzema has always been hoping to put on the national jersey again, make contributions to the team and bury the hatchet with Deschamps all these years.

"I don't have the ability, no one does, to go back and change anything. The most important thing is today and tomorrow. There have been important steps, one of them very important," said Deschamps when asked about Benzema. The 52-year-old used to say he will "never forget" Benzema's comments.

"We have seen each other. We had a long discussion. After that I had a long reflection to come to this decision. I'm not going to reveal a word of the discussion, it's only our business. I needed it, he needed it. I have already been confronted with difficult situations, I have always put my personal case aside. The French team does not belong to me, even if I am well aware that the responsibility I have is important because of the choices I have to make," added Deschamps.

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