France Football Team - French Soccer

FRANCE Soccer Team General Information
Country - France
Capital City - Paris
Continent - Europe
Manager - Raymond Domenech

France Soccer Team History
Founded 1919
Affiliated 1804
WC participations 11 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2002)

WC honours World champions (1998)
Continental Titles 2 times European champions (1984, 2000
First International: Belgium 3 - 3 France (Brussels, Belgium; 1 May 1904)
Largest win: France 10 - 0 Azerbaijan (Paris, France; 6 September 1995)
Worst defeat: Denmark 17 - 1 France (London, England; 19 October 1908)
European Championships Appearances: 6 (First in 1960) Best result Winners, 1984 and 2000

World Cup Record:
Year Host Performance
1930 Uruguay Third, Pool One
1934 Italy First Round
1938 France Quarter finals
1950 Brazil -
1954 Switzerland Third, Group One
1958 Sweden Third place
1962 Chile -
1966 England Fourth, Group One
1970 Mexico -
1974 West Germany -
1978 Argentina Third, Group One
1982 Spain Fourth place
1986 Mexico Third place
1990 Italy -
1994 U.S.A. -
1998 France Winners
2002 S.Korea/Japan First Group phase
2006 Germany in Group G with Switzerland, South Korea, Togo

FRANCE Football Team for 2006 FIFA World Cup

Coach:
Raymond Domenech

Goalkeepers:
Mickael Landreau, Fabien Barthez, Gregory Coupet.

Defenders:
Jean Alain Boumsong, Eric Abidal, William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre, Lilian Thuram, Gael Givet, Willy Sagnol, Pascal Chimbonda.

Midfielders:
Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele, Florent Malouda, Vikash Dhorasoo, Zinedine Zidane, Alou Diarra.

Forwards:
Djibril Cisse, Sylvain Wiltord, Louis Saha, David Trezeguet, Frank Ribery.
France Statistics in Group G with Switzerland, South Korea, Togo
The team is known as 'Les Bleus'

Jersey No. Name of the Player
1 Mickael Landreau
2 Jean Alain Boumsong
3 Eric Abidal
4 Patrick Vieira
5 William Gallas
6 Claude Makelele
7 Florent Malouda
8 Vikash Dhorasoo
9 Djibril Cisse
10 Zinedine Zidane
11 Sylvain Wiltord
12 Thierry Henry
13 Mikael Silvestre
14 Louis Saha
15 Lilian Thuram
16 Fabien Barthez
17 Gael Givet
18 Alou Diarra
19 Willy Sagnol
20 David Trezeguet
21 Pascal Chimbonda
22 Frank Ribery
23 Gregory Coupet

FRANCE (FRA)
France Soccer Team is playing in Group G along with Switzerland, South Korea and Togo. France, founder members of FIFA, have participated in the World Cup 11 times. Les Bleus came third in the 1958 World Cup. France Soccer Team came fourth in 1982 and third in 1986. They won the European Championship in 1984.

The late 1990s were the most successful years of France. The team then played in semifinals of Euro 96. Two years later it hosted and won the 1998 World Cup defeating the favorites, Brazil 3-0 in the FIFA World Cup Finals. It also won the Euro 2000.

The team was ranked as the favorites but their performance in the 2002 World Cup was dismal. In that World Cup, France did not win a single game and did not score any goal. In Euro 2004, the France Soccer Team was beaten in the quarterfinals by Greece, the eventual Euro 2004 champion.

In Sweden in 1958, Fontaine scored 13 goals in the tournament, a record, which remains unbroken till date. France was defeated twice by Germany in consecutive semi-finals, first in Spain in 1982 and then in Mexico in 1986. Over the past years France has witnessed a rough patch as far as soccer is concerned.

This time Les Bleus was in a tough qualifying group. They put forth fighting performances and emerged at the top of the Group. Definitely France is a team to watch this season, with players like Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Claude Makelele and Sylvain Wiltord.