After more than five years, Karim Benzema's return to the France national team nearly got off to a great start — if not for Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward.
The teams faced off in Nice for a pre-Euro 2020 friendly, but the biggest story of the day was Benzema once again donning the blue of his national side after such a long exile. Personal and legal issues kept the 33-year-old striker off the squad since October 2015, but he found himself in the starting lineup against the visiting Welsh on Wednesday.
After an uneventful opening stretch, a handball in the penalty area in the 25th minute by Wales defender Neco Williams gave France a spot-kick. Benzema, who entered the match with 27 goals in 81 international appearances — including two in his last game for France, against Armenia in the same stadium as Wednesday's match — stepped up to take the ensuing penalty.
Following a brief run-up, Benzema fired the ball low and to the goalkeeper's right, but Ward was equal to the challenge with a superb diving save to keep the match scoreless.
The French did get a first-half goal through Kylian Mbappe in the 34th minute, along with second-half strikes by Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele en route to a 3-0 victory, but Benzema will have to continue to wait for his first goal after returning to the national team fold.