- Best Euros
- Winners 1984 & 2000, Runner-up 2016
- 2016 Euros
- Runner-up
France's Euro Schedule
| Date | Fixture | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15th June 8pm | France v Germany | Munich |
| 19th June 2pm | Hungary v France | Budapest |
| 23rd June 8pm | Portugal v France | Budapest |
Road to the Euros
Whilst it always looked a certainty that France would escape their qualifying group, and probably win it (as they did), it turned out to be trickier than expected. The French have a habit of making hard work of one opponent in qualifying and this time it was Turkey. After losing 2-0 away, they were held to a 1-1 draw at home. Following that game, a late 2-1 win over Moldova in which they trailed made all the difference. It ensured France finished two points ahead of Turkey and thanks to Turkey’s draw elsewhere with Iceland, who themselves finished on 19 points, France avoided any messy final day scenarios. Despite that wobble, they took maximum points from Iceland, Albania, Andorra and Moldova and that alone was enough to see them qualify.
Current form
In the group preview we touched upon the fact France haven’t lost a game at a major tournament since 2014. They were undefeated in winning the World Cup and even though they lost at Euro 2016 to Portugal, they drew that game 0-0 in 90 minutes. Their preparations for the tournament have been routine with 3-0 wins over Wales and Bulgaria and they’ve only lost once in 13 games since qualifying. But some of those results show they’re not invincible, particularly their 2-0 home loss to Finland. Add to that, Portugal and Ukraine were able to hold them to a draw and both Sweden and Croatia found the net twice in 4-2 losses. They could be an entertaining watch at the tournament.
Squad assessment
If you’re looking for weaknesses in the French squad, there are few to be found. They have always been quite solid defensively under Deschamps which has sometimes come at a price for those wishing to be entertained, but a handful of their recent results and performances have shown them to be slightly more expansive. It’s harsh to call Hugo Lloris the weak link because he is such a top drawer goalkeeper, however, France are remarkably strong in every position and he does have a mistake in him. Tolisso and Kante provide real steel to a midfield and free up Pogba to express himself, whilst France’s attacking options of Mbappe, Griezmann and Benzema (not to mention Giroud) are all on fire and would be capable of running riot against the best defences in footballing history.
Key players
You can make a case about each and every one of the French players and why they’re important, but it's goals that win games and Karim Benzema has a point to prove. After being snubbed in previous years, Benzema has remained prolific for Real Madrid and will lead the line alongside Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe himself has been the star man for both PSG and France for some time and has a habit of popping up when he’s needed most. His electric pace on the counter makes France a real danger even when they’re on the back foot. Finally, N’Golo Kante is the best in the world at what he does and his energy between the boxes will help France break up the play and almost instantly turn defence into attack.
Click below to read more about each of France's Group F opponents: