OFFICIAL: Benzema recalled by Deschamps for Euro 2020

The 33-year-old has not played for France since October 2015, but is now set to line up alongside World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann at the delayed European Championship, which gets underway on June 11. Benzema, who has scored 27 goals for France in 81 appearances, was named as this season's best French player playing abroad by the country's players' association earlier on Tuesday.

Benzema has netted 29 times for Real Madrid this term, passing 20 league goals in all three seasons since Cristiano Ronaldo left the Santiago Bernabeu for Juventus in 2018. "To arrive at this decision, there were steps," said Deschamps. "We saw each other, we discussed at length. I do not want to make special cases. I have always ignored my personal situation, the France team does not belong to me, it is above everything."

France kick off their Euro 2020 campaign against three-time winners Germany in Munich on June 15, face Hungary in Budapest four days later and finish their Group F schedule against holders Portugal on June 23. Les Bleus have impressed at major tournaments without Benzema, reaching the Euro 2016 final on home soil before losing to Portugal and lifting their second World Cup three years ago in Russia, defeating Croatia 4-2 in the final.

Benzema has repeatedly hit out at the French Football Federation (FFF) and Deschamps for not selecting him. He said racism was a possible factor in his exclusion from the Euro 2016 squad, while he criticised FFF president Noel Le Graet after missing out on the World Cup. He said, in comments directed towards Le Graet, in November 2019: "If you think I'm done, let me play with one of the other countries I am eligible for and we'll see."

The former Lyon forward had not been selected since the sextape scandal involving his former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena broke in 2015. The case revolves round a plot to extort money from Valbuena by threatening to make a sex video public. Deschamps also named in-form Monaco forward Wissam Ben Yedder in the squad, but has left out World Cup-winning centre-back Samuel Umtiti and Real Betis winger Nabil Fekir.