Michel François Platini is a French football administrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, and came seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century vote. In recognition of his achievements, he was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 1985 and became an Officier in 1998. As the president of UEFA in 2015 he was banned from involvement in football under FIFA's organisation, over ethics violations. The ban will last until 2023.
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is currently the manager of the France national under-21 and under-23 football teams. He is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, and one of the greatest players in Premier League history. He has been named by Arsenal as the club's greatest ever player. Henry was runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or in 2003 and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. He was named the FWA Footballer of the Year a record three times, the PFA Players' Player of the Year a joint-record two times, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six consecutive times. He was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI once and the UEFA Team of the Year five times. In 2004, Henry was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
The France national football team represents France in men's international football. It is controlled by the French Football Federation, the governing body for football in France. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. The team's colours and imagery reference two national symbols: the French blue-white-red tricolour and Gallic rooster. The team is colloquially known as Les Bleus. They play home matches at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and train at Centre National du Football in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines.
Didier Claude Deschamps is a French professional football manager and former player who has been managing the France national team since 2012. He played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, England and Spain, namely Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea and Valencia, as well as Nantes and Bordeaux. Nicknamed "the water-carrier" by former France teammate Eric Cantona, Deschamps was an intelligent and hard-working defensive midfielder who excelled at winning back possession and subsequently starting attacking plays, and also stood out for his leadership throughout his career. As a French international, he was capped on 103 occasions and took part at three UEFA European Football Championships and one FIFA World Cup, captaining his nation to victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien is a French former professional footballer who played as a defender. A quick, powerful and versatile player, he was capable of playing both as a centre-back or as a right-back, and was competent both offensively and defensively.
Karim Mostafa Benzema is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. Regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, he is a creative forward known for his technical skills, vision and versatility on the field, Benzema is Real Madrid's all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. He won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions League titles.
Hugo Hadrien Dominique Lloris is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
Benoît Guy Robert Costil is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Salernitana.
The 2008–09 season was Olympique Lyonnais's 50th anniversary season in Ligue 1 and was their 20th consecutive season in the top division of French football. They were the defending champions having won the title the past seven consecutive seasons. They were entering the season after achieving their first ever double after winning the Coupe de France, along with their league title.
Olivier Jonathan Giroud is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the France national team. He is France's all-time highest goalscorer.
The history of the France national football team dates back to 1904. The national team, also referred to as Les Bleus, represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA.
This article lists various team and individual football records in relation to the Belgium national team. The page currently shows the records as of 23 March 2024.
Benjamin Jacques Marcel Pavard is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Inter Milan and the France national team. Although usually deployed as a right-back, he is also capable of playing as a centre-back.
Marcus Lilian Thuram-Ulien is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Inter Milan and the France national team.
The UEFA Euro 2016 Final was the final match of Euro 2016, the fifteenth edition of the European Football Championship, UEFA's quadrennial competition for national football teams. The match was played at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on 10 July 2016, and was contested by Portugal and France. The 24-team tournament began with a group stage, from which 16 teams qualified for the knockout phase. En route to the final, Portugal finished third in Group F, with draws against Iceland, Austria and Hungary. Portugal then defeated Croatia in the last 16 before beating Poland in the quarter-final after a penalty shoot-out. They progressed to the final after beating Wales in the semi-final. France finished the group stage as winners of Group A, beating Romania and Albania before drawing with Switzerland. In the knockout rounds, France defeated the Republic of Ireland and Iceland before beating Germany in the semi-final.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup final was the final match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 22nd edition of FIFA's competition for men's national football teams. The match was played at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on 18 December 2022, the Qatari National Day, and was contested by Argentina and defending champions France. With a record 1.5 billion people watching on television, the final became one of the most widely watched televised sporting events in history.
