Karim Benzema is tied to France as an international performer, but the Real Madrid striker has asked to be freed to represent another country after being informed he will not be selected again.

The Blancos star has been frozen out by Les Bleus since 2015.

The fallout from a sex tape dispute with Mathieu Valbuena saw Benzema dropped down the pecking order and completely out of favour.

No reprieve has been offered despite the 31-year-old remaining one of the most prolific frontmen on the planet.

He reached the 30-goal mark once again for Real last season and has added another 11 efforts to his collection in the current campaign.

Any suggestion that he could see the slate wiped clean by his country has been rubbished by Noel le Graet, the president of the French Football Federation.

He has told RMC Sport: “For me, Benzema is a very good player. I have never criticised his qualities.

“On the contrary, he is proving again this year at Madrid that he is one of the best players in his position. But the adventure with France is over.”

Benzema has not taken kindly to being forced into international retirement.

For him, selection calls should remain purely in the hands of head coach Didier Deschamps.

With that seemingly not the case, then he would like to pledge his allegiance elsewhere.

Having earned 81 caps, with many of those coming in competitive fixtures, there is no chance of his wish being granted.

The forward of Algerian descent has posted on social media: “Noel, I thought that you did not interfere with the decisions of the national team coach!

“Know that it will be me and me alone who decides when my international career is over.

“If you think that I am finished, let me play for a country that I am eligible to play for and we will see.”

Benzema has 27 international goals to his name, but will feel that he should have many more after spending four years on the outside of a star-studded squad that secured World Cup glory without him in 2018.