Benzema explains Tupac 'betrayal' post, Mbappe reacts

Karim Benzema sent tongues wagging hours after Kylian Mbappe announced his decision to sign a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain. The football community shared their reactions about Mbappe's Real Madrid snub, and Benzma's social media activity caught the attention of the world.

The Real Madrid striker had previously been vocal about his desire to play alongside his French national team colleague at the Santiago Bernabeu on the club level. It has long been speculated that he had been on a mission to convince Mbappe to join Los Blancos for a number of months, if not years.

As such, many believed that Benzema may have personally felt slighted when Mbappe made a U-turn from last year's declaration of his desire to make the move.

When Benzema posted a photo of slain rapper Tupac on his Instagram stories after the Mbappe news broke out, many believed that it was a message to the PSG forward. The photo shows the rapper with a suspicious-looking man lurking just behind him. Netizens claimed that this was the man who "betrayed" the rapper to his eventual killers, connecting it with Mbappe's perceived betrayal.

When asked about the photo, Benzema said that he was not sending out a message, and that Tupac simply happened to be his favourite. He also said that "Mbappe and other players have no reason to call me. Each one decides their own future. I'm calm here, preparing for Saturday's game. To each their own. Surprised? I was surprised like everyone else. But he's a Paris player and we have a game on Saturday."

According to Marca, Benzema also said that it is not in his nature to post cryptic messages on social media. Instead, he would personally approach someone if he had something to say.

The Pichichi winner also said that another photo posted on the same day, which shows his hand pointing up at the Real Madrid logo, was simply his declaration of love for the club. "Madrid is the best club in the world but it wasn't a message. I wanted to point out that this is our badge and we have to win the Champions League," he said.

Benzema then insisted on keeping his interviews focused on the upcoming UEFA Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Mbappe has also been bombarded with questions about his decision. When asked about the social media posts, he acknowledged that he saw Real Madrid players posting things that may have been barbs in his direction. As for Benzema, he said that he will personally speak with the player once they meet up for the France camp this summer.