France
National Team Information
France National Football Team History
Beginnings and Early Struggles
France national football team appeared at the first World Cup in 1930 and won their first match against Mexico 4-1 in Montevideo. Lucien Laurent scored the first goal in FIFA World Cup history, but France lost their next two matches and got eliminated in the group stage. Four years later, in a single-elimination format, France lost 3-2 to Austria in their only match.
The France national football team was integrated early on as Black and North African players made their debuts during the 1930s. France hosted the World Cup for the first time in 1938 and made the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated by Italy.
First Golden Generation Emerges
After failing to qualify for the 1950 World Cup, France’s first Golden Generation emerged. Legendary players like Just Fontaine, Jean Vincent, and Raymond Kopa were mainstays during this period. In 1958, Fontaine set a record with 13 goals in a single World Cup, which stands to this day. France finished third, losing to Brazil in the semifinals and defeating West Germany 6-3 in the third place game with Fontaine scoring four goals.
The next France national football team FIFA World Cup appearance was in 1966, but they were eliminated early as they failed to win a Group Stage match. The 70s were a rough period for France, since they failed to qualify for both the 1970 and 1974 World Cup. Les Bleus returned in the 1978 World Cup but were again eliminated in the group stage, with a win and two losses.
France performed much better at the 1982 World Cup, since they made the semifinals, where they lost on penalties to West Germany. Manuel Amoros won the Best Young Player award at the tournament, and Alan Giresse led the team with three goals.
First Major Tournament Won
In 1984, France national football team won their first major tournament as they defeated Spain 2-0 in the European Championship final. Michel Platini scored a tournament-leading nine goals and captained France to victory. Les Bleus also won the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal and the 1985 Artemio Franchi trophy, which was the precursor to the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Les Bleus were favorites coming into the 1986 World Cup but they once again lost to West Germany in the semifinals. They did, however, manage their best finish since 1938, as they defeated Belgium 4-2 in the third place game.
First-Ever Final & Best Goalkeeper Award
France then failed to qualify for the next two editions of the World Cup but returned with a vengeance in 1998, under Aime Jacquet. A team with exciting young players like Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane won all three group stage matches and advanced to their first-ever final. There, Zidane scored two goals as Les Bleus routed Brazil in the final for their first World Cup win. Fabian Barthez was recognized as the Best Goalkeeper in the tournament.
Despite winning Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, France suffered a shock group stage exit in the 2002 World Cup. One of the biggest upsets of the tournament was Senegal’s 1-0 victory over Les Bleus in the opener.
Alleged Handball-Goal Qualification Disaster
In Zidane’s last World Cup, France fared much better and finished the group stage undefeated. With wins over Spain, Brazil and Portugal, France made their second World Cup final in team history. Zidane scored an early penalty against Italy but was sent off in extra time for an infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi. Italy went on to win 5-3 on penalties; David Trezeguet missed his PK for France.
The 2010 World Cup, for which France only qualified on an unseen Thierry Henry handball goal, was a disaster. Les Bleus drew their opener 0-0 with Uruguay and then disappointingly lost to Mexico, 2-0. At halftime, striker Nicolas Anelka had a heated dispute with coach Raymond Domenech and was expelled from the tournament.
In protest, left-back Patrice Evra led a training boycott, and France lost 2-1 to hosts South Africa in their last match. France finished at the bottom of their group and were eliminated in the Group Stage for the second time in the last three World Cup appearances.
In Didier Deschamps’s first tournament as head coach, France made the quarterfinals and were eliminated by eventual champions Germany. Paul Pogba was named Best Young Player at the tournament. At Euro 2016, hosts France got their first win over Germany in a major tournament since 1958 and advanced to the final. They, however, lost in extra time as Portugal’s Eder scored the game’s only goal.
Second World-Cup Win in 2018
France got their second World Cup win in 2018 with Kylian Mbappe emerging as one of soccer’s brightest young talents. Les Bleus advanced as group winners with a 2-1 win over Australia, a 1-0 win versus Peru and a 0-0 draw against Denmark.
Mbappe scored two second-half goals against Leo Messi and Argentina in the 4-3 round of 16 win. Les Bleus then beat Uruguay 2-0 in the quarterfinals and Belgium 1-0 in the semifinals. Mbappe became the only teenager other than Pele to score in a World Cup final, since France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final. Mbappe was awarded Best Young Player, while Antoine Griezmann got the Silver Boot and Bronze Ball.
- Thierry Henry – 51 goals
- Olivier Giroud – 49 goals
- Antoine Griezmann – 42 goals
- Michel Platini – 41 goals
- Karim Benzema – 37 goals
In 2004, Zinedine Zidane was named the best European footballer of the last 50 years, and it’s easy to see why. The attacking midfielder and Ballon D’or winner was a magician with the ball who could simply do it all. Zizou won the Golden Ball at the 2006 World Cup, despite getting sent off in the final. Zidane scored two goals in the 1998 World Cup final win against Brazil, which instantly vaulted him to legendary status.
A three-time Ballon D’or winner, Michel Platini captained France to victory in Euro 1984. He was also the tournament’s top scorer and won the Best Player award. The midfielder is regarded as one of the best players of all times, and he scored an impressive 41 goals in 72 appearances for his country.
Thierry Henry was named the French Footballer of the Year a record five times and is one of the best strikers of all times. As of June 2022, the Arsenal legend is France’s all-time leading scorer, and he won three major trophies with the national team. The direct, pacey, and technically adept striker also won the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup.
As of June 2022, Lilian Thuram has made the most appearances of any French player, with 142 caps. Thuram was a versatile player who could play both on the right and in central defense. He was a key member of the France national team for over a decade, from the mid 1990s to late 2000s, and was fast, intelligent, and aggressive as a defender.
Before there was Yaya Toure, there was Patrick Vieira. Vieira is one of the most complete box-to-box midfielders of all-time, and he was a mainstay in the France national football team from 1997-2009. Vieira, a World Cup and Euro winner, made over 100 appearances for France.
France failed to qualify for the two prior World Cups leading up to 1998, but they were coming off an Euro semi finals appearance in 1996. As hosts in 1998, Les Bleus were certainly expected to make a run, and they delivered.
Les Bleus decimated South Africa 3-0 in their opener, put four on Saudi Arabia in the next match and eked out a 2-1 win versus Denmark to finish on top of their group. Thierry Henry led the way in the group stage with four goals. France needed extra time to defeat Paraguay in the round of 16, as Laurent Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history.
It took penalties to defeat Italy after a scoreless draw through 120 minutes. In the semifinals against Croatia, defender Lilian Thuram scored both of Les Bleus’ goals to advance to their first ever final.
At the Stade de France, Zidedine Zidane scored two goals, with France defeating Brazil 3-0 to seal their first World Cup win.
On multiple levels, 2010 was an unparalleled disaster for the French national team. Morale was low, Thierry Henry was benched in favor of Nicolas Anelka, and Raymond Domenech proved unable to manage the egos on his roster.
After an uninspiring 0-0 draw to Uruguay in the opener, Anelka had a bust up with Domenech at halftime of the 2-0 loss against Mexico. Anelka was singled out by Domenech and retaliated to the point that Domenech sent him home, and he never played for France again.
Captain Patrice Evra and the rest of the team refused to train after their teammate was sent home. Evra then got into a heated argument with fitness coach Robert Duverne and had to be separated by his teammates. Allegedly, sporting minister Roselyne Bachelot gave a speech that reduced the boycotting players to tears just before their final group game.
It didn’t matter, as France lost 2-1 and finished at the bottom of a group they were favored to win.
France Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Ligue 1:
Ligue 1 is France’s soccer league with the biggest following, and it’s the top league in the country. There are 20 clubs in Ligue 1, which is being reduced to 18 ahead of the 2023-24 season.
This means four teams will be relegated in 2022-23 instead of two. The league follows a double round-robin format, and the top two teams qualify for the Champions League group stage. The third-place team enters the Champions League playoff rounds.
Ligue 2:
France soccer betting isn’t limited to Ligue 1 and the national team. Ligue 2 is the second-tier league in France and features 20 clubs, which will be reduced to 18 in 2023-24. The top two teams are automatically promoted to Ligue 1 each year. Meanwhile, the third-place club can typically gain entry to Ligue 1 by winning a promotion playoff.
Ligue 2 Clubs 2022-2023 Season
| Team |
|---|
| Amiens |
| Annecy |
| Bastia |
| FC Girondins De Bordeaux |
| Caen |
| Dijon |
| Grenoble |
| Guingamp |
| Laval |
| Le Havre |
| FC Metz |
| Nîmes |
| Niort |
| Paris FC |
| Pau |
| Quevilly-Rouen |
| Rodez |
| AS Saint-Etienne |
| Sochaux |
| Valenciennes |
France Cups & Tournaments
France’s soccer teams compete in the Coupe de France, which is a massive knockout tournament featuring over 7,000 teams. Teams from French overseas territories, like Reunion and Guadeloupe, are also able to enter the competition.
The tournament follows a single-elimination format with penalties in the event of a draw. Nantes defeated Nice in 2022 final but PSG have won a record 14 titles.
At the beginning of each season, the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champion play a single cup match. This is called the Trophee des Champions and is the first domestic France soccer betting opportunity on the season calendar.
If a club wins the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double, the second team in the match is the Ligue 1 runners-up.
French Soccer Betting Information
Betting on Ligue 1
Ligue 1 betting is among the most popular in the world and France soccer betting is primarily on it. PSG have dominated the league over the past decade, with eight of the last ten titles, as of 2022. Monaco and Lille have also won Ligue 1 in recent years. Ligue 1 is an attractive league to watch as a casual fan, and it’s good to bet on for the same reasons.
Clean sheets occurred in 51 percent of matches in 2021-22, but no team had a 40 percent clean sheet percentage or above. Plus, both teams scored in 55 percent of matches in the same season. Home teams certainly had an advantage, as the home winning percentage was 43 percent. Road teams were able to take all three points in 30 percent of matches, and 27 percent of matches in 2021-22 ended in draws.Â
Totals betting was quite difficult in the 2021-22 season. Both over and under 2½ goals occurred in 50 percent of matches. The most frequent scoreline was 1-1, which happened in 13.7 percent of matches. Some of the strongest teams in Ligue 1 in recent seasons have been PSG, Marseille, Lyon, Monaco, Lille, Nice, and Rennes.
France National Team Betting Tips & Odds
The France National team is one of the best teams in the world. They are the defending World Cup champions entering Qatar 2022. Players like Kylian Mbappe, N’Golo Kante, and Karim Benzema are among the best in the world. However, France have underperformed in the last couple of years leading up to the World Cup.Â
In the recent UEFA Nations League, an injury-riddled France side won just one of their six matches. Les Bleus were also eliminated in the round of 16 at Euro 2020 by Switzerland in penalties. Regardless, they are a very talented team with up-and-coming players like William Saliba and Aurelien Tchouameni. France are priced at -250 odds to win Group D over Denmark, Tunisia and Australia.Â
Betting tips note that the last three World Cup winners failed to advance out of the group stage, though. Punters can find France to be eliminated before the round of 16 at +700 odds. Les Bleus have shorter odds to win the whole tournament than get eliminated in the group stage, though.
A France repeat is listed at +600 odds, which only trails Brazil.
Following the World Cup, France will turn their attention to UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers. They’re in a group with the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Greece, and Gibraltar. It would be seen as a major failure if France don’t finish in the top two and qualify.
Summary
France’s Ligue 1 is one of the most exciting leagues in the world. Despite PSG’s status as the top dog, it is usually quite a competitive race to make the Champions League. France is known for rivalry matches which can often get quite contentious. Yellow, and even red cards, are common in these games, which could present an alternative betting opportunity. The Coupe de France is also an interesting competition to bet on, as it can sometimes be quite a crapshoot. The 2022 winner was Nantes, who finished ninth in Ligue 1.
Almost all soccer fans have heard of players like Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, and Kylian Mbappe. France’s national team is iconic and one of the most popular teams to bet on. The two-time World Cup champions play with a swagger and flair that is rarely matched in the international game. France’s huge successes have also been accompanied by major failures. Chemistry has been an issue in recent years, and off-the-field issues should be taken into account when betting on their tournament performance.
