France national football team (Les Bleus)

The French National Football Team?s first ever game was against Belgium in 1904 and resulted in a 3-3 draw in Brussels.

France played at the first ever World Cup in 1930 but they did not obtain many notable results in the competition until they reached the semi-final in 1958, where Just Fontaine scored 13 goals, still a World Cup record for a single tournament.

France?s first international success came at UEFA Euro 1984. Inspired by the brilliant Michel Platini, who scored 9 goals in only five games, including the winner in the semi-final and the first goal in a 2-0 final win over Spain, France came out on top in front of their home crowd.

The next tournament the French hosted was the France ?98 World Cup. With Zinedine Zidane the inspiration. France beat Brazil 3-0 in the final, two of the goals coming from the head of Zidane.

Two years later and France again came out on top. This time at the Euros in Belgium and the Netherlands. A late semi-final penalty put France into the final where they looked to be heading for defeat. That was until substitute Sylvain Wiltord scored in injury time and David Trezeguet grabbed the ?golden goal? in extra time.

A poor period then followed with group stage exits at major tournaments in 2002 and 2010, either side of a quarter final at Euro 2004 and a final defeat by Italy on penalties in 2006, after the talismanic Zidane was sent off for a head butt in extra time!