FRANCE
Coach: Didier
Deschamps
Road to Brazil: Nr.1 in Europagr.
I,
Beat Ukraine in play-off.
Honours: Winner
1998,
Runner up 2006
European champ. 1984 & 2000 WC-app.: 14 (Incl.this) First WC: 1930
Toppscorer: Just Fontaine (1958) Association:
www.fff.fr
Although having been
eliminated in the
qualification stage
six times, is one of
only three teams
that have entered
every World Cup
cycle. In 1958, the
team, led by Raymond
Kopa and Just
Fontaine, finished
in third place at
the FIFA World Cup.
In 1984, France, led
by Ballon d'Or
winner Michel
Platini, won UEFA
Euro 1984.
Under the leadership
of Didier Deschamps
and three-time FIFA
World Player of the
Year Zinedine
Zidane, France
became one of eight
national teams to
win the FIFA World
Cup in
1998 when it
hosted the
tournament. Two
years later, the
team triumphed again
in UEFA Euro 2000
and became the top
team in the FIFA
World Rankings for
the first time.
France has since
added a pair of
Confederations Cup
titles, in 2001 and
2003, as well as an
appearance in the
final of the
2006 World Cup,
which it lost 5–3 on
penalties to Italy.
Following the team's
disastrous
2010 World Cup,
where France failed
to reach the
knockout stages
after a 2-0 loss to
Mexico, a
major reconstruction
within the
federation resulted
in the resignation
of president
Jean-Pierre
Escalettes and the
appointment of
former international
Laurent Blanc as
manager He was followed by
Didier Deschamps in
2012.
i
English football