| Facts : |
| • |
France is one of only two teams
to have taken part in every qualifying competition
thus far. They have gone on to play in 11
out of a possible 17 finals. As hosts in 1998,
the Equipe Tricolore claimed the trophy with
a 3-0 win against Brazil in the final. |
| • |
The ultimate success may have been a long
time in coming, but France were already a
notable force in world football. It was a
Frenchman, Jules Rimet, who established the
FIFA World Cup, and Lucien Laurent scored
the first goals in FIFA World Cup history. |
| • |
The French team was devastated in 2002
when as defending champions they fell at the
first hurdle, eliminated after a first round
in which they neither won a game nor scored
a single goal. |
