France World Cup 2018 profile: Ones to watch, best bets and more
France have left some big names out of their World Cup squad but there's still plenty to like about their chances in Russia.
France Factfile
- FIFA World Ranking: 7
- Sky Bet outright winner odds: 11/2
- Best Bet: Antoine Griezmann to win Golden Boot at 16/1
- World Cup appearances: 14
- Best World Cup finish: Champions (1998)
- Nickname: Les Bleus
Coach – Didier Deschamps: The French World Cup-winning captain in 1998 fell agonisingly short of claiming another home glory as manager at Euro 2016 when his side lost to Portugal in extra-time in the final. He's been in charge since 2012 after impressing at Monaco, Juventus and Marseille.
Legend – Zinedine Zidane: Michel Platini just misses out to the mercurial Zizou, who starred in France 98 with two goals in the final win over Brazil. Zidane also helped France to win Euro 2000 as the three-time World Player of the Year oozed class on the pitch. He was just the fourth player to score in two World Cup finals when he notched against Italy in 2006, before the infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi that proved to be the last act of his incredible career - what a way to go out!
Star Man – Antoine Griezmann: The Atletico Madrid star banged in six goals to get France to the final of Euro 2016 and will be looking to emulate that form to fire them to World Cup glory. He scored twice in the Europa League final as he showcased his big-game impact. Paul Pogba has all the hype, headlines, haircuts and emojis, but make no mistake Griezmann is the main man for Les Bleus.
Did you know? Thanks to its overseas territories dotted around the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, as well as the South American continent. France spans twelve different time zones – which is more than any other nation.
Fun Fact: Although we see France as a footballing powerhouse, they take a while to warm up in tournaments and in World Cup group games they've managed just three wins in their last 12 group-stage outings.
Qualifying: They ran out easy Group A winners in European qualifying in the end, finishing four points clear of Sweden and losing just one of their ten games. A shock 0-0 draw at home to minnows Luxembourg was one of a couple of blips.
Group C fixtures: Australia (11am, June 16, Kazan), Peru (4pm, June 21, Ekaterinburg), Denmark (3pm, June 26, Moscow)
France squad
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)
France Profile
They are a fancied side to lift the World Cup in Russia. Loaded with talent, France have been able to leave out the likes of Karim Benzema, Anthony Martial and Alexandre Lacazette, while Dimitri Payet misses out through injury, and look a strong squad capable of challenging.
Les Bleus are the 1/3 favourites in Group C and are expected to brush aside their competition in Denmark, Peru and Australia.
France finished runners-up at Euro 2016, were losing finalists at Germany 2006 and will be looking to build on their quarter-final finish at the last World Cup in 2014.
Didier Deschamps will once again be leading the squad. He won the World Cup as a player, captaining France in 1998, and will be aiming to add a World Cup to his managerial CV.
They are 11/2 to lift the trophy, and have every chance of doing just that in Russia.
Who to watch out for
Where do you begin with this incredibly talented French side?
Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will have the likes of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti in front of him.
Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante will have the likes of Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi around him in midfield with the attack possessing the brilliant Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, and Kylian Mbappe.
Throw in wonder kid Ousmane Dembele and the in-form Florian Thauvin and France boast a very strong squad.
Thauvin may be one to keep an eye on, as he may go under the radar alongside all the star names.
The 25-year-old has scored 24 goals and contributed 17 assists in all competitions this season, with the Newcastle flop set to be on the radar of a few clubs following the tournament.
How did they qualify?
It was pretty easy in the end for France, who won UEFA Group A in qualifying.
They lost just one of their ten games, but had a few slip-ups along the way as they were held to a shock 0-0 draw at home to minnows Luxembourg.
Regardless, France finished four points clear of second-place Sweden, and also beat the Netherlands to qualify. The Dutch side will be absent from the tournament.
The Swedes were the team who beat them in qualifying, and the tournament bracket means that they could meet at the semi-final stage - although it’s unlikely that Sweden will make it that far.
What will I hear when they play?
It's a standard chant used by all of France's sports teams inspired by their blue shirts and their nickname so expect to hear plenty of "Allez Les Bleus" around France games - simple but effective.
Any interesting facts about France?
France is the world’s most visited country, remaining popular with travellers. According to the World Tourism Organization report published in 2014, some 83.7 million visitors arrived in France that year.
France is a country well equipped for visitors though, with Paris Gare du Nord Europe's busiest railway station. Around 190 million passengers pass through each year.
They are a sporty nation, given the fact that the Tour de France has been around for over 100 years. Every summer, cyclists race near 2,000 miles, primarily around France, in a series of stages over 23 days.
Any famous football moments?
As past World Cup winners, France has a number of memorable football moments. Their most famous though came in 1998 when they lifted the trophy on home soil.
France took on Brazil in the Stade de France final in Paris, inflicting Brazil’s biggest defeat at a World Cup at the time (3-0).
They’d beaten South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Paraguay, Italy and Croatia on their way, with the South American side standing between them and their first World Cup.
A man-of-the-match performance from Zidane put them in dreamland, with his two first-half goals, combined with Emmanuel Petit’s late strike, enough to secure the win.
They were reduced to ten men in the second half as well after Marcel Desailly saw red for two yellow cards.
France held on for victory, and will be hopeful of adding another title when they line-up in Russia.