The main topic around soccer in the last couple of weeks has been the injuries. Star players are being left out of Qatar 2022 because of last-minute issues that prevent them from competing in the World Cup. Karim Benzema appears as the biggest name in France’s list of absences.
The striker missed a lot of games this season due to different problems, and even some Real Madrid fans pointed at him saying he was just waiting for the World Cup. But when the news broke that he was being cut of the squad, it was time for the speculation.
There is still the opportunity to choose a replacement if Didier Deschamps wants to do so. Alternatives is something that this country has a lot, so there is a good pool of names that could replace Benzema in Qatar. Although there was one name in particular that rapidly was mentioned on social media.
Who is the player that became a sensation on social media?
Names started to fly around immediately after Benzema’s confirmation. Just like it happened with Paul Pogba or N’Golo Kante, finding a replacement was the next step. Social media had one name in particular that was brought up quite often.
It wasn’t Anthony Martial or Wissam Ben Yedder. The striker that became an instant trending topic was André-Pierre Gignac. The former Olympique Marseille player had a great career in Europe, even representing France in the past.
Gignac is currently playing in Mexico for Tigres, so it doesn’t sound like a very likely option. He’s been there since 2015, although he wouldn’t need to be a starter. One thing in his favor could be the experience, since he participated in South Africa 2010.
