Benzema hits out at French minister over Muslim Brotherhood link allegation

Ballon d'Or winner and former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has hit back at France's interior minister after he accused the French football star who plays for Saudi team Al Ittihad of links to the Muslim Brotherhood group.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin made the allegations after the footballer posted a message on social media about the conflict between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

"All our prayers are for the inhabitants of Gaza who are once again victims of these unjust bombings which spare no women or children," Benzema wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Since Hamas's shock attack on Israel on October 7, Israel has launched wave after wave of air strikes on besieged Gaza, killing more than 3,500 Palestinians. The death toll on the Israeli side stood at 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

Darmanin, speaking on the CNews Channel, alleged that Benzema "has a notorious link with the Muslim Brotherhood", a Sunni Muslim group with its origins in Egypt.

"This is false! Karim Benzema has never had the slightest relationship with this organisation," Benzema's layer Hugues Vigier said in a statement.

The lawyer added that he was planning to file a complaint against Darmanin for his comments.

Benzema, 35, who was born in France to parents of Algerian origin, has been one of the standout French stars of the last decade.

He joined the Saudi club on a hugely lucrative three-year deal this year after 14 seasons with Real Madrid where he lifted five Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey.

But after a stellar 2021-22 season when he led Real to Champions League glory and was rewarded with the Ballon d'Or for the world's best player, he was troubled by injuries that ruled him out of France's World Cup campaign in Qatar last year.

Darmanin, 41, has carved out a reputation as a hardliner in the mould of his political mentor ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy and makes no secret of his own presidential ambitions.