Mbappe completed a dream move to Madrid this summer after the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract but has not yet hit top form under Carlo Ancelotti.

The coach has kept Brazil international Vinicius in his preferred position on the wing and has placed Mbappe, who favours playing on the left, in the centre.

“The problem, in my opinion, is that (Mbappe) is not a central striker; even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine, he doesn’t feel comfortable because it’s not his natural position,” Benzema told the Spanish television show El Chiringuito on Monday night

“On the left, he’s got someone at his level — Vinicius — so there’s a problem. You can’t play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right; he’s at his best on the left, where he makes an impact in every game.

“Mbappe isn’t a true number nine. People have high expectations of him, and he’s under a lot of pressure. This isn’t Paris Saint-Germain.”

Since joining Madrid from PSG, the 25-year-old has scored eight goals in 14 appearances across all competitions.

Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or at Real Madrid in 2022 before signing with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad last year, advised Mbappe to keep working hard to adapt to his new role.

“(I’d tell him) don’t give up, because I don’t think he’ll push Vinicius out of position — he’s currently the best player in the world,” Benzema continued.

“Mbappe needs to accept that, for now, he’s playing as a number nine and set aside the left flank for a while.”

Benzema, who joined Real Madrid in 2009 and played there for 14 seasons, warned Mbappe that “if you go two or three games without scoring, you’re going to face a lot of scrutiny.”

Real Madrid are set to play AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Benzema was sent home on the eve of the tournament after picking up an injury, but there was some speculation that he could return for the final after playing a friendly for Real Madrid.

However, he reportedly rejected the opportunity to go back to Qatar after falling out with manager Didier Deschamps, and has now taken to social media to confirm that he has retired.

Benzema’s shock announcement comes less than 24 hours after France’s defeat against Argentina, as Deschamps’s side were denied in their quest to win back-to-back World Cups.

‘I made the effort and the mistakes it took to be where I am today and I’m proud of it! I have written my story and ours is ending,’ Benzema wrote on Instagram on Monday afternoon, December 19.

Benzema finishes his France career with 37 goals in 97 caps, but his journey with the national team has been far from smooth since his debut 15 years ago.

The 34-year-old Real Madrid striker had been struggling with the injury for some time and had played less than half an hour of football in his club’s last six games before the World Cup.

On Saturday, he took part in full training for the first time since the World Cup holders gathered last week ahead of the tournament.

He was forced to withdraw from the session at the home stadium of Qatari champions Al Sadd with the injury and was taken for tests.

The French Football Federation later said in a statement that the injury “will require a recovery period of three weeks,” ruling out any prospect of him being fully fit for the tournament which finishes on December 18.

“I am extremely sad for Karim, for whom this World Cup was a major objective,” France coach, Didier Deschamps, was quoted as saying in the FFF statement.

Despite this new blow for the France team I have full faith in my squad. We will do all we can to rise to the huge challenge that awaits us.”

The 36-year-old Olivier Giroud, is set to benefit from Benzema’s absence by coming into the France attack alongside Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

However, under FIFA rules Deschamps can still call up a replacement for an injured player until Monday, on the eve of their first game.

France begin their defence of the trophy on Tuesday, when they take on Australia in Al Wakrah.

They will also play Denmark and Tunisia in Group D as they aim to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup.

This comes after the French striker, 34, claimed the 2022 Ballon d’Or award on Monday ahead of runner-up Sadio Mane and third-place finisher Kevin De Bruyne.

Benzema netted 44 goals for the Spanish giants last season, leading his side to Champions League and LaLiga glory.

Fellow France and Real Madrid legend Zidane, who presented the coveted trophy to Benzema at the ceremony, has now claimed that the forward is the best striker in the history of his country.

Zidane, who won trophy in 1998, told L’Equipe this week: ‘The best striker in the history of French football? Everyone has their favourite player. Some people will tell you it’s Jean-Pierre Papin with his exceptional goals, others will talk about Michel Platini. For me, it’s Karim, yes, because I’ve been around him and I know what he’s worth. In any case, he deserves to be very high. I wish him to continue for a long time to go for records and to shine on the field, with Real Madrid, and with the French team. He is capable of going even higher.’

After claiming the prestigious award, Benzema said: ‘This prize in front of me makes me really proud. When I was small, it was a childhood dream, I never gave up. Anything is possible. I’m really proud of my journey here. It wasn’t easy, it was a difficult time for my family as well.’

On the last day of hearings, Benzema’s lawyers claimed the prosecution had failed to provide evidence to convict the star of complicity in an attempt to blackmail.

‘One can ask what really interests French people in this case? Sex? Money? Football? Not the judicial element in any case,’ lawyer Antoine Vey told the court, adding that the prosecution’s case had been built around Valbuena’s ‘feelings’.

Addressing the judge, he added: ‘It’s never too late to do some law. You are the final safeguard.’

Benzema’s other lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, criticised a ‘media-judicial circus’. The prosecution demanded a 10-month suspended sentence on Thursday and a fine of 75,000 euros (£63,352) for the 33-year-old France international, who has not appeared during the three days of hearings which began on Wednesday, October 20.

Benzema, who is expected to play this weekend against Barcelona in the Clasico, is one of five people on trial over the 2015 extortion attempt over a sexually explicit video that was stolen from Valbuena’s phone.

Testifying on the opening day of the trial Wednesday, Valbuena said the affair – which saw him and Benzema excluded from the national team – had left him feeling ‘frightened’ and fearful for his career.

Benzema claims he was only trying to help his fellow player when he approached him about the sex tape at the French team’s training centre in October 2015 and told him he could help him find someone to ‘manage’ the issue of the video.

Prosecutors claim Benzema was working with the other accused, including a childhood friend from his hometown Lyon.

In a wiretapped conversation, he told the friend who is accused of acting as middlemen for the suspected blackmailers that ‘he’s not taking us seriously. The prosecution claims this shows Benzema was complicit, but his lawyer said Friday the exchange showed the footballer was ‘not an example of total contrition’ during the conversation. ‘We never said he was being kind… but it is not a criminal offence,’ Vey told the court.

A verdict in the trial will be announced on November 24.

In the last decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the award, but with their age now declining, Benzema believes he and others can rise up to the challenge now.

Benzema said to journalists “Winning the Ballon d’Or does not make me lose any sleep, although it is a dream for every player. What I want is to help the team. Every player wants to win it and so do I.” For me, the Champions League is the top competition and it is the one with the most pressure. For me, there are no favourites. On the pitch, one thinks that one team will win and then another win. We have a great team and we are going to fight for winning it.”