France was one of the four European teams that participated at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and are one of seven national teams to have won the competition, which they did in 1998 when they hosted the Cup. They defeated Brazil 3–0 in the final. France and England share the record of having one World Cup victory. France has also won two UEFA European Football Championships, winning the first in 1984, led by Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini, and the most recent in 2000, led by FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane. Following France's 2001 Confederations Cup victory, they became, along with Argentina, the only national teams to win the three most important men's titles organized by FIFA: the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the Olympic Tournament.
France currently share a competitive rivalry with neighbors Italy, whom they first contested in 1910. The rivalry laid dormant for awhile, but re-ignited following the controversial circumstances surrounding Zinedine Zidane's sending-off in the 2006 World Cup final.
History of the France national football team
The France national football team was created in 1904 around the same time of FIFA's foundation on 21 May 1904 and contested its first official international match on 1 May 1904 against Belgium, in Brussels, that ended in a 3–3 draw.The following year, on 12 February 1905, France contested their first ever home match against Switzerland, played at the Parc des Princes in front of 500 supporters. Prior to the FIFA World Cup, France's major international competition was the Summer Olympics. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, France sent two teams to the competition, a rare occurrence, due to a disagreement between FIFA and the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), the country's sports union at the time. At the competition, both teams struggles with France B losing in the opening round and France A losing in the following round. Following the Olympics, on 9 May 1908, the French Interfederal Committee (CFI), a rival organization to the USFSA, ruled that FIFA would now be responsible for the club's appearances in forthcoming Olympics Games and not the USFSA. The USFSA disagreed, but due to disorganization in later years, became semi-affiliated with the CFI in 1913. In 1919, the CFI transformed themselves into the Fédération Française de Football or the French Football Federation. In 1921, the USFSA finally merged with the French Football Federation.
In July 1930, France appeared in the inaugural FIFA World Cup, held in Uruguay. In their first-ever World Cup match, France defeated Mexico 4–1 at the Estadio Pocitos in Montevideo. Lucien Laurent became notable in the match as he scored not only France's first World Cup goal, but the first goal in World Cup history. France later lost 0–1 to fellow group stage opponents Argentina and Chile resulting in the team bowing out in the group stage. The following year saw the first selection of a black player to the national team. Raoul Diagne, who was of Senegalese descent, earned his first cap on 15 February in a 1–2 defeat to Czechoslovakia. Diagne later played with the team at the 1938 FIFA World Cup, alongside Larbi Benbarek, who was the first player of North African origin to play for the national team. At the 1934 FIFA World Cup, France suffered elimination in the opening round. The group stage used in the first World Cup was discarded in favour of a straight knockout tournament. In the match, against Austria, France lost 2–3 following extra time goals from Anton Schall and Josef Bican. On the team's return to Paris, they were greeted as heroes by a crowd of over 4,000 supporters. Two years later, on 24 February 1936, Gaston Barreau was officially installed as the France's first manager. Barreau, who headed a player selection committee which officially headed the team, had unofficially managed the team since 1919.
France hosted the 1938 FIFA World Cup and reached the quarter-finals before losing 1–3 to the defending champions Italy, who later went on to defend their title. Due to the development of World War II, national team play was put on hold, returned, then was put on hold for a second time before finally returning on a permanent basis following the conclusion of the war. The first suspension of play lasted from 29 January 1940 until 8 March 1942 when France returned to play losing 0–2 to Switzerland. France contested one more match before play was suspended again on 16 March 1942. After over two and a half years of dormancy, France returned to play on Christmas Eve 1944 defeating Belgium 3–1 in Paris.
The 1950s saw France handed its first Golden Generation composed of players such as Just Fontaine, Raymond Kopa, Jean Vincent, Robert Jonquet, Maryan Wisnieski, Thadée Cisowski, and Armand Penverne. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup, France reached the semi-finals losing to Brazil, who won the match 5–2, courtesy of a hat trick from Pelé. In the third place match, France defeated West Germany 6–2 with Fontaine recording four goals, which brought his goal tally in the compeitition to 13, a World Cup record. The Just Fontaine 13-goal record still stands today. France hosted the inaugural UEFA European Football Championship in 1960 and, for the second straight international tournament, reached the semi-finals. In the round, France faced Yugoslavia and were shocked 4–5 despite being up 4–2 heading into the 75th minute. In the third place match, France were defeated 0–2 by the Czechoslovakians.
The 1960s and 70s saw France decline significantly playing under several different managers and failing to qualify for numerous international tournaments. Under Henri Guérin, France failed to qualify for the 1962 FIFA World Cup and the 1964 European Nations' Cup. The team did return to major international play following qualification for the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The team lost in the group stage portion of the tournament. Guérin was fired following the World Cup. He was replaced by José Arribas and Jean Snella, who worked as caretaker managers in dual roles. The two only lasted four matches and were replaced by former international Just Fontaine, who only lasted two. Louis Dugauguez succeeded Fontaine and, following his early struggles in qualification for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, he was fired. Dugauguez was replaced by Georges Boulogne, who couldn't get the team to the World Cup. Boulogne was fired following failure to failure to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Boulogne also failed to get the team to UEFA Euro 1972. He was replaced by Romanian Stefan Kovacs, who became the first and, to this day, only international manager to ever manage the French national team. Kovács would also turn out to be a disappointment failing to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1976. After two years in charge, he was sacked and replaced with Michel Hidalgo.
Under Hidalgo, France flourished, mainly due to the accolades of playmaker Michel Platini, who, alongside Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse, and Luis Fernández formed the "carré magique" ("Magic Square"), which would haunt opposing defenses beginning in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, where France reached the semi-finals setting up a showdown with their rivals, West Germany. The semi-final match-up is considered one of the greatest matches in World Cup history and was marred with controversy. France eventually lost on penalties 5–4.
France earned their first major international honour two years later, winning UEFA Euro 1984, which they hosted. Under the leadership of Platini, who scored a tournament-high nine goals, France defeated Spain 2–0 with Platini and Bruno Bellone scoring the goals. Following the Euro triumph, Hidalgo departed the team and was replaced by former international Henri Michel. France later completed the hat trick when they won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics football tournament and, a year later, defeated Uruguay 2–0 to win the Artemio Franchi Trophy, which was an early precursor to the FIFA Confederations Cup. In a span of a year, France were holders of three of the four major international trophies. At the 1986 FIFA World Cup, France were favorites to win the competition, and for the second consecutive World Cup reached the semi-finals against West Germany in the semi-finals. Again, however, they lost. A 4-2 victory over Belgium gave France third place. A year later, Platini retired from both club and international football.
In 1988, the French Football Federation opened the Clairefontaine National Football Institute. Its opening ceremony was attended by then-President of France, François Mitterrand. Five months after Clairefontaine's opening, manager Henri Michel was fired and was replaced by Michel Platini, who failed to get the team to the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Platini did lead the team to UEFA Euro 1992 and, despite going on an impressive 19-match unbeaten streak prior to the competition, suffered elimination in the group stage. A week after the completion of the tournament, Platini stepped down as manager and was replaced by his assistant Gérard Houllier. Under Houllier, France and its supporters experienced a heartbreaking meltdown after having qualification to the 1994 FIFA World Cup all but secured with two matches to go, against last place Israel and Bulgaria, in their qualifying group with both matches being played at home. In the Israel match, France were upset 2–3 and, in the Bulgaria match, suffered an astronomical 1–2 defeat following a monumental and costly mistake by midfielder David Ginola in the last minute of play. The public outcry, following the defeat, led to the firing of Houllier. His assistant Aimé Jacquet was given his post.
France's triumphant years began during the late 1990s because of the generation of Zinédine Zidane. This team started off well by reaching the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1996. After the competition, coach Aimé Jacquet adopted a very defensive strategy, which was often derided by supporters. The press also began to attack the team manager, calling his methods "Paleolithic," and claiming that the team had no hope in winning the upcoming 1998 FIFA World Cup, which would be hosted in their home country. There were even calls for Jacquet to resign following the teams underwhelming performance at the 1997 edition of the Tournoi de France. However, despite the constant criticism, Jacquet led the team to World Cup glory defeating Brazil 3–0 in the final, which was played at the Stade de France, the team's recently constructed national stadium.
Jacquet stepped down after France's World Cup triumph and was succeeded by assistant Roger Lemerre who guided them through UEFA Euro 2000. Zidane cemented his FIFA World Player of the Year form, scoring a direct free kick in the quarter-final against Spain and a golden goal penalty in the semi-final against Portugal. In the finals, France defeated Italy 2–1 in a come-from-behind victory. David Trezeguet scored the golden goal in extra time after an equalizing goal from Sylvain Wiltord in the fifth minute of injury time. This gave them the distinction of being the first national team to hold both the World Cup and Euro titles since West Germany did so in 1974, and it was also the first time that a reigning World Cup winner went on to capture the Euro. Following the result, France were inserted to the prestigious number one spot in the FIFA World Rankings.
France failed to maintain that pace in subsequent tournaments. Although they won the Confederations Cup in 2001, France suffered a stunning goalless first round elimination in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, possibly due in part to an injury to key playmaker Zidane. One of the greatest shocks in World Cup history condemned France to a 0–1 defeat to debutantes Senegal in the opening game of the tournament. After France finished bottom of the group, Lemerre was dismissed. A full strength team started out strongly in UEFA Euro 2004, but they were upset in the quarter-finals by the eventual winners Greece. Jacques Santini resigned as coach and Raymond Domenech was picked as his replacement.
France struggled in the qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This prompted Domenech to persuade "golden generation" members Claude Makélélé, Lilian Thuram, and Zinedine Zidane out of international retirement to help the national team qualify. This was France's first successful World Cup qualification since 1986 (France received automatic berths in 1998 and 2002, as hosts and defending champions). The team was greeted with modest expectations as it entered the World Cup tournament. The team had a slow start in the group stage and were in danger of being eliminated drawing their first two matches. However, France found their form and won their final group match to advance to the knockout rounds. There, Zidane scored or assisted in every game of the knockout rounds contributing to the team's appearance in the final. At home, when news came of France's victory, there were mass celebrations at the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. France took on Italy in the final and despite controversial disruptions in extra time, France failed to get on the score-sheet and Italy eventually won the penalty shoot-out 5–3 to be crowned 2006 World Champions.
France started its qualifying round for UEFA Euro 2008 strong and qualified for the tournament, despite two shocking defeats to Scotland. Despite high expectations from supports, France bowed out during the group stage portion of the tournament after having been placed in the group of death. France's performance at Euro 2008 effectively marked the end of its golden era with Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry remaining with the team following the uneventful Euro performance. Despite pressure from supporters and world media, alike, to fire Domenech, the federation retained him as manager.
France's campaign for 2010 World Cup qualification got off to a disappointing start with the team suffering disastrous losses and earning uninspired victories. France eventually finished second in the group and earned a spot in the UEFA play-offs against the Republic of Ireland for a place in South Africa. In the first leg, France defeated the Irish 1–0 and in the second leg procured a 1–1 draw, via controversial circumstances, to qualify for the World Cup.
Home stadium
Panorama view of the Stade de France, France's national stadium.
During France's early run of existence, the team's national stadium alternated between the Parc des Princes in Paris and the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes. France also hosted matches at the Stade Pershing, Stade de Paris, and the Stade Buffalo, but to a minimal degree. As the years moved forward, France began hosting matches outside the city of Paris hosting matches at such venues as the Stade Marcel Saupin in Nantes, the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, the Stade de Gerland in Lyon, and the Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, to name a few. Following the renovation of the Parc des Princes in 1972, which made the stadium the largest in terms of attendance, France moved into the venue permanently. The team still hosted friendly matches and minor FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship qualification matches at other venues.
In 1998, the Stade de France was inaugurated as France's national stadium ahead of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Located in Saint-Denis, a Parisian suburb, the stadium has an all-seater capacity of 81,338. France's first match at the stadium was played on 28 January 1998 against Spain. France won the match 1–0 with Zinedine Zidane scoring the lone goal. Since that match, France has used the stadium for almost every major home game.
Media coverage
The national team currently has a broadcasting agreement with TF1 Group, who control the country's main national TV channel, TF1. The current agreement was set to expire following the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 18 December 2009, the Federal Council of the French Football Federation agreed to extend its exclusive broadcasting agreement with the channel. The new deal grants the channel exclusive broadcast rights for the matches of national team, which include friendlies and international games for the next four seasons beginning in August 2010 and ending in June 2014. TF1 will also have extended rights, notably on the Internet, and may also broadcast images of the national team in its weekly program, Téléfoot.The federation will receive €45 million a season, a €10 million decrease from the €55 million they received from the previous agreement reached in 2006.
Kit
France's Zinedine Zidane number 10 home shirt
The France national team utilizes a tricolour system, composed of colors blue, red, and white. The team's three colors originate from the national flag of France, known as the drapeau tricolore. France have brandished the colors since their first official international match against Belgium in 1904. Since the team's inception, France normally wear blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks at home, while, when on the road, the team utilizes an all-white combination or wear red shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks with the former being the most current. Between the years 1909–1914, France wore a white shirt with blue stripes, white shorts, and red socks.
Beginning in 1972, France reached an agreement with German sports apparel manufacturer Adidas to be the team's kit provider. Over the next 38 years, the two would maintain a healthy relationship with France winning UEFA Euro 1984, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2000 while wearing the brand's famous tricolour three stripes. On 22 February 2008, the French Football Federation announced that they were ending their partnership with Adidas and signing with the American manufacturer Nike, effective 1 January 2011. The unprecedented deal is valued at €320 million over seven years (2011–2018) making France's blue shirt the most expensive ever in the history of football.
]Nickname
France is often referred to by the media and supporters as Les Bleus (The Blues), which is the nickname associated with all of France's international sporting teams due to the blue shirts each team incorporates. The team is also referred to as Les Tricolores or L'Equipe Tricolore (The Tri-color Team) due to the team's utilization of the country's national colors: red, blue, and white. During the 1980s, France earned the nickname the "Brazilians of Europe" mainly due to the accolades of the "carré magique" ("Magic Square"), who were anchored by Michel Platini. Led by coach Michel Hidalgo, France exhibited an inspiring, elegant, skillful, and technically advanced offensive style of football, which was strikingly similar to their South American counterparts.
Representing multi-ethnic France
The French national football team has long reflected the ethnic diversity of the country. The first black player playing in the national team was Raoul Diagne in 1931, the son of the first African elected to the French National Assembly, Blaise Diagne. In the 1950s, the first French national team reaching international success with a semi-final at the World Cup 1958 already included many sons of immigrants such as Raymond Kopa, Roger Piantoni, Maryan Wisnieski and Bernard Chiarelli. This tradition continued through the 1980s, when such successful players as Michel Platini, Jean Tigana, Luis Fernández, Manuel Amoros or Eric Cantona all had foreign-born parents.
During the 1990s, the team was widely celebrated as an example of the modern multicultural French ideal.On the 2006 French national team, 17 of the 23 players were members of racial minorities, including many of the most prominent players. The team featured players born in France's overseas departments and others who were immigrants or the children of immigrants from former French colonies. Zinédine Zidane was born in Marseille to Algerian immigrants. Vikash Dhorasoo — the first French player of Indo-Mauritian origin - played in the 2006 World Cup. Meanwhile, several players are of African and West Indian origin. Patrick Vieira immigrated as a child from Senegal and Claude Makélélé did likewise from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both Bafétimbi Gomis and Bacary Sagna have dual French-Senegalese nationality. J'aime la Mer Noire. Lilian Thuram is from France's overseas department of Guadeloupe. Thierry Henry is the son of parents born in Guadeloupe and Martinique, while Louis Saha, Sylvain Wiltord, and Pascal Chimbonda all have parents who hail from Guadeloupe. Florent Malouda was born in French Guiana. Similarly, current starlets like Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri, and Hatem Ben Arfa were born to immigrant families from Algeria and Tunisia.
The multiracial makeup of the team has at times provoked controversy. In recent years, critics on the far right of the French political spectrum have taken issue with the proportional underrepresentation of white Frenchmen on the team. National Front politician Jean-Marie Le Pen protested in 1998 that the Black, Blanc, Beur team that won the World Cup did not look sufficiently French. In 2002, led by Ghanaian-born Marcel Desailly, the French team unanimously publicly appealed to the French voting public to reject the presidential candidacy of Le Pen and instead return President Jacques Chirac to office in a landslide. In 2006, Le Pen also resumed his criticism, charging that coach Raymond Domenech had selected too many black players.
In 2005, French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut caused a controversy by remarking to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that despite its earlier slogan, "the French national team is in fact black-black-black," adding "France is made fun of all around Europe because of that." He later excused himself for this comment, which he declared was not meant to be offensive.
The Zidane-Materazzi headbutt incident in the 2006 World Cup final and its aftermath served as a symbol for the larger issue of Europe's struggle to integrate its non-white immigrant population: even though both players denied it, international media speculated for days about the presence of a racist element in the exchange, observing that the Italian team contained no ethnic minorities.
The national team's overall impact on France's efforts to integrate its minorities and come to terms with its colonial past has been mixed, however. In 2001, France played a friendly match in the Stade de France, site of its 1998 World Cup triumph, against Algeria. It was France's first meeting with its former colony, with whom it had fought a war from 1954–1962, and it proved controversial. France's national anthem, La Marseillaise, was booed by Algerian supporters before the game, and following a French goal that made the score 4–1 in the second half, spectators ran onto the field of play and caused the game to be suspended. It was never resumed.
Current squad
The squad for friendly match against Spain on 3 March 2010.
Caps and goals as of 3 March 2010, subsequent to the friendly match against Spain.
# Name DOB Club Caps Goals Debut
Goalkeepers
1 Hugo Lloris 26 December 1986 (age 23) Lyon 9 0 v Uruguay; 19 November 2008
16 Steve Mandanda 28 March 1985 (age 25) Marseille 12 0 v Ecuador; 27 May 2008
23 Cédric Carrasso 30 December 1981 (age 28) Bordeaux 0 0
Defenders
2 Bacary Sagna 14 February 1983 (age 27) Arsenal 17 0 v Slovakia; 22 August 2007
3 Michaël Ciani 6 April 1984 (age 26) Bordeaux 1 0 v Spain; 3 March 2010
4 Julien Escudé 17 August 1979 (age 30) Sevilla 13 0 v Faroe Islands; 11 October 2006
5 Jean-Alain Boumsong 14 December 1979 (age 30) Lyon 27 1 v Japan; 20 June 2003
13 Patrice Evra 15 May 1981 (age 28) Manchester United 27 0 v Bosnia and Herzegovina; 18 August 2004
18 Adil Rami 27 December 1985 (age 24) Lille 0 0
20 Aly Cissokho 15 September 1987 (age 22) Lyon 0 0
21 Rod Fanni 6 December 1981 (age 28) Rennes 4 0 v Tunisia; 14 October 2008
Midfielders
6 Lassana Diarra 10 March 1985 (age 25) Real Madrid 27 0 v Lithuania; 24 March 2007
7 Moussa Sissoko 16 August 1989 (age 20) Toulouse 2 0 v Faroe Islands; 10 October 2009
8 Yoann Gourcuff 11 July 1986 (age 23) Bordeaux 17 1 v Sweden; 11 August 2008
14 Jérémy Toulalan 10 September 1983 (age 26) Lyon 31 0 v Faroe Islands; 11 October 2006
15 Florent Malouda 13 June 1980 (age 29) Chelsea 51 3 v Poland; 17 November 2004
17 Benoît Cheyrou 3 May 1981 (age 29) Marseille 0 0
22 Franck Ribéry 7 April 1983 (age 27) Bayern Munich 42 7 v Mexico; 27 May 2006
Strikers
9 Djibril Cissé 12 August 1981 (age 28) Panathinaikos 38 9 v Belgium; 18 May 2002
10 Sidney Govou 27 July 1979 (age 30) Lyon 43 10 v Tunisia; 22 August 2001
11 Hatem Ben Arfa 7 March 1987 (age 23) Marseille 7 1 v Faroe Islands; 13 October 2007
12 Thierry Henry 17 August 1977 (age 32) Barcelona 118 51 v South Africa; 11 October 1997
19 Loïc Rémy 2 January 1987 (age 23) Nice 1 0 v Nigeria; 2 June 2009
39 Nicolas Anelka 14 March 1979 (age 31) Chelsea 64 14 v Sweden; 22 April 1998
Louis Saha 8 August 1978 (age 31) Everton 18 4 v Belgium; 18 February 2004
Recent call-ups
Name DOB Club Caps Goals Most recent callup
Goalkeepers
Nicolas Douchez 22 April 1980 (age 30) Rennes 0 0 v Austria; 14 October 2009
Defenders
William Gallas 17 August 1977 (age 32) Arsenal 78 4 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
Éric Abidal 11 September 1979 (age 30) Barcelona 52 0 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
Sébastien Squillaci 11 August 1980 (age 29) Sevilla 18 0 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
Gaël Clichy 26 July 1985 (age 24) Arsenal 3 0 v Austria; 14 October 2009
Philippe Mexès 30 March 1982 (age 28) Roma 13 0 v Turkey; 5 June 2009
Midfielders
Alou Diarra 15 July 1981 (age 28) Bordeaux 24 0 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
Abou Diaby 11 May 1986 (age 23) Arsenal 2 0 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
Patrick Vieira 23 June 1976 (age 33) Manchester City 107 6 v Turkey; 5 June 2009
Samir Nasri 26 June 1987 (age 22) Arsenal 15 2 v Lithuania; 1 April 2009
Rio Mavuba 8 March 1984 (age 26) Lille 6 0 v Lithuania; 1 April 2009
Strikers
Karim Benzema 19 December 1987 (age 22) Real Madrid 27 8 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
André-Pierre Gignac 5 December 1985 (age 24) Toulouse 10 4 v Republic of Ireland; 18 November 2009
Bafétimbi Gomis 6 August 1985 (age 24) Lyon 5 2 v Austria; 14 October 2009
Guillaume Hoarau 5 March 1984 (age 26) Paris Saint-Germain 0 0 v Lithuania; 1 April 2009
Peguy Luyindula 25 May 1979 (age 30) Paris Saint-Germain 6 1 v Lithuania; 1 April 2009
Jimmy Briand 2 August 1985 (age 24) Rennes 3 0 v Argentina; 11 February 2009
Results
2009–10 in French football#France
Friendly
2 June 2009 France 0 – 1 Nigeria Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Denis
5 June 2009 France 1 – 0 Turkey Stade Gerland, Lyon
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
First Round
12 August 2009 Faroe Islands 0 – 1 France Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn
First Round
5 September 2009 France 1 – 1 Romania Stade de France, Saint-Denis
First Round
9 September 2009 Serbia 1 – 1 France Stadion Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade
First Round
10 October 2009 France 5 – 0 Faroe Islands Stade du Roudourou, Guingamp
First Round
14 October 2009 France 3 – 1 Austria Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Second Round
14 November 2009 Republic of Ireland 0 – 1 France Croke Park, Dublin
Second Round
18 November 2009 France 1 – 1 (a.e.t) Republic of Ireland Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Friendly
3 March 2010 France 0 – 2 Spain Stade de France, Saint-Denis
26 May 2010 France – Costa Rica Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens
30 May 2010 Tunisia – France Stade 7 November, Radès
4 June 2010 France – China PR Stade Michel Volnay, Saint-Pierre, Réunion
2010 FIFA World Cup
Group Stage
11 June 2010 Uruguay – France Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Group Stage
17 June 2010 France – Mexico Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
Group Stage
22 June 2010 France – South Africa Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Friendly
11 August 2010 Norway – France Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Group Stage
3 September 2010 France – Belarus Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Group Stage
7 September 2010 Bosnia and Herzegovina – France Bilino Polje, Zenica
Group Stage
9 October 2010 France – Romania Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Group Stage
12 October 2010 France – Luxembourg Parc des Princes, Paris
Friendly
17 November 2010 England – France Wembley Stadium, London
9 February 2011 France – Brazil Stade de France, Saint-Denis
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Group Stage
25 March 2011 Luxembourg – France Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City
Friendly
29 March 2011 France – TBD Stade de France, Saint-Denis
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Group Stage
3 June 2011 Belarus – France Dinamo Stadium, Minsk [
Group Stage
2 September 2011 Albania – France Qemal Stafa, Tirana
Group Stage
6 September 2011 Romania – France Stadionul Naţional, Bucharest
Group Stage
7 October 2011 France – Albania Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Group Stage
11 October 2011 France – Bosnia and Herzegovina Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Last updated: 28 March 2010
Source: French Football Federation Les matches de l'équipe de France
Coaching staff
As of 4 January 2009.
Position Name Nationality
Manager Raymond Domenech French
Assistant manager Pierre Mankowski French
Assistant manager Alain Boghossian French
Goalkeeper coach Bruno Martini French
Assistant goalkeeper coach Fabrice Grange French
Fitness coach Robert Duverne French
Doctor Alain Simon French
Kinesiotherapy Michel Brohan French
Kinesiotherapy Joffrey Martin French
Kinesiotherapy Patrick Bordier French
Managing Director Jean-Louis Valentin French
Competitive record
France national football team all-time record
World Cup record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
1930 Round 1 7 3 1 0 2 4 3
1934 Round 1 9 1 0 0 1 2 3
1938 Quarterfinals 6 2 1 0 1 4 4
1950 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1954 Round 1 11 2 1 0 1 3 3
1958 Third place 3 6 4 0 2 23 15
1962 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1966 Round 1 13 3 0 1 2 2 5
1970 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1974 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1978 Round 1 12 3 1 0 2 5 5
1982 Fourth place 4 7 3 2 2 16 12
1986 Third place 3 7 4 2 1 12 6
1990 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1994 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1998 Champions 1 7 6 1 0 15 2
2002 Round 1 28 3 0 1 2 0 3
2006 Final 2 7 4 3 0 9 3
2010 Qualified - - - - - - -
Total 13/19 1 Title 51 25 10 16 95 64
European Championship record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
1960 Semifinals 4 2 0 0 2 4 7
1964 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1968 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1972 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1976 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1980 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1984 Champions 1 5 5 0 0 14 4
1988 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1992 Round 1 6 3 0 2 1 2 3
1996 Semifinals 4 5 2 3 0 5 2
2000 Champions 1 6 5 0 1 13 7
2004 Quarterfinals 5 4 2 1 1 7 5
2008 Round 1 15 3 0 1 2 1 6
Total 7/13 2 Titles 28 14 7 7 46 34
Confederations Cup record
Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA
1997 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
1999 Withdrew - - - - - - -
2001 Champions 1 5 4 0 1 12 2
2003 Champions 1 5 5 0 0 12 3
2005 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
2009 Did not qualify - - - - - - -
Total 2/8 2 Titles 10 9 0 1 24 5
*Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Titles
Preceded by
1994 Brazil World Champions
1998 (First title) Succeeded by
2002 Brazil
Preceded by
1999 Mexico Confederations Cup Winners
2001 (First title)
2003 (Second title) Succeeded by
2005 Brazil
Preceded by
1980 West Germany European Champions
1984 (First title) Succeeded by
1988 Netherlands
Preceded by
1996 Germany European Champions
2000 (Second title) Succeeded by
2004 Greece
Preceded by
Inaugural Event Artemio Franchi Trophy
1985 (First title) Succeeded by
1993 Argentina
Preceded by
1993 Hungary Kirin Cup Champions
1994 (First title) Succeeded by
1995 Japan
Preceded by
1996 Croatia King Hassan II Cup Winners
1998 (First title)
2000 (Second title) Succeeded by
Incumbent
Minor titles
Football at the Summer Olympics:
Gold Medal (1): 1984
Silver Medal (1): 1900
Tournoi de France:
Winners (1): 1988
Nelson Mandela Inauguration Challenge Cup:
Winners (1): 2000
Nasazzi's Baton:
Winners (7): 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1991, 2001
Individual awards
In addition to team victories, players are awarded individual awards at FIFA and UEFA competitions. Below are the French players who have claimed awards at major tournaments organized by the two organizations.
Year Competition Name Club Award
1958 FIFA World Cup Just Fontaine Stade Reims Golden Shoe
1958 FIFA World Cup Raymond Kopa Real Madrid Bronze Ball
1960 UEFA European Championship François Heutte Racing Paris Top Scorer
1982 FIFA World Cup Manuel Amoros Monaco Best Young Player
1984 UEFA European Championship Michel Platini Juventus Top Scorer
1984 UEFA European Championship Michel Platini Juventus Player of the Tournament
1998 FIFA World Cup Fabien Barthez Monaco Yashin Award
1998 FIFA World Cup Lilian Thuram Parma Bronze Ball
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Robert Pirès Arsenal Golden Ball
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Robert Pirès Arsenal Golden Shoe
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Patrick Vieira Arsenal Silver Ball
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup Éric Carrière Lyon Silver Shoe
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Thierry Henry Arsenal Golden Ball
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Thierry Henry Arsenal Golden Shoe
2006 FIFA World Cup Zinedine Zidane Real Madrid Golden Ball
Players
French International footballers
Most capped French players
Main article: List of France international footballers
Still active national team players are highlighted
# Name Career Caps Goals
1 Lilian Thuram 1994–2008 142 2
2 Thierry Henry 1997–present 118 51
3 Marcel Desailly 1993–2004 116 3
4 Zinedine Zidane 1994–2006 108 31
5 Patrick Vieira 1997–present 107 6
6 Didier Deschamps 1989–2000 103 4
7 Laurent Blanc 1989–2000 97 16
Bixente Lizarazu 1992–2004 97 2
9 Sylvain Wiltord 1999–2006 92 26
10 Fabien Barthez 1994–2006 87 0
Last updated: 9 January 2010
Source: RSSSF
Top France goalscorers
Main article: List of leading goalscorers for the France national football team
Still active national team players are highlighted
# Player Career Goals Caps Average
1 Thierry Henry 1997–present 51 118 0.43
2 Michel Platini 1976–1987 41 72 0.57
3 David Trezeguet 1998–2008 34 71 0.47
4 Zinedine Zidane 1994–2006 31 108 0.28
5 Just Fontaine 1953–1960 30 21 1.42
Jean-Pierre Papin 1986–1995 30 54 0.55
7 Youri Djorkaeff 1993–2002 28 82 0.34
8 Sylvain Wiltord 1999–2006 26 92 0.28
9 Jean Vincent 1953–1961 22 46 0.47
10 Jean Nicolas 1933–1938 21 25 0.84
Last updated: 9 January 2010
Source: RSSSF
Managers
Prior to 1936, French football players were managed by a selection committee with Gaston Barreau, head of committee, acting as the unofficial manager of the team. Barreau managed the team, unofficially, from 1919 to 1936. On 24 February 1936, Barreau was officially installed as manager after the French Football Federation eliminated the selection committee. Barreau's match record below begins from when he was officially inaugurated as manager in 1936. In total with the national team, Barreau managed the team in 197 matches.
Manager France career Played Won Drawn Lost Win % Major Honours
Gaston Barreau 1936–1955 84 39 13 32 46.4
Albert Batteux 1955–1962 56 24 14 18 42.9
Henri Guérin 1962–1966 28 7 8 13 25.0
José Arribas and Jean Snella 1966 4 2 0 2 50.0
Just Fontaine 1967 2 0 0 2 0.0
Louis Dugauguez 1967–1968 9 2 3 4 22.2
Georges Boulogne 1969–1973 31 15 5 11 48.4
Ştefan Kovács 1973–1975 15 6 4 5 40.0
Michel Hidalgo 1975–1984 75 41 16 18 54.7 Winner of Euro 84.
Henri Michel 1984–1988 36 16 12 8 44.4
Michel Platini 1988–1992 29 16 8 5 55.2
Gérard Houllier 1992–1993 12 7 1 4 58.3
Aimé Jacquet 1994–1998 53 34 16 3 64.2 Winner of 1998 World Cup.
Roger Lemerre 1998–2002 53 34 11 8 64.2 Winner of Euro 2000 and
2001 Confederations Cup
Jacques Santini 2002–2004 28 22 4 2 78.6 Winner of 2003 Confederations Cup
Raymond Domenech 2004–present 73 40 22 11 54.8 2006 World Cup finalist.
Managers in italics were hired as caretakers
Previous squads
2008 European Football Championship squads - France
2006 FIFA World Cup squads - France
2004 European Football Championship squads - France
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup squads - France
2002 FIFA World Cup squads - France
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup squads - France
2000 European Football Championship squads - France
1998 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1996 European Football Championship squads - France
1992 European Football Championship squads - France
1986 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1984 European Football Championship squads - France
1982 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1978 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1966 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1960 European Nations' Cup squads - France
1958 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1954 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1938 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1934 FIFA World Cup squads - France
1930 FIFA World Cup squads - France
See also
France women's national football team
France national under-21 football team
France national youth football team
French Guiana national football team
Guadeloupe national football team
Martinique national football team
New Caledonia national football team
Réunion national football team
Saint-Martin national football team
Tahiti national football team
Source:wikipedia
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