France may not be the colossal force they were during the glittery heights of the late-1990s and early 2000s, but they remain a competent side that, on their day, can beat the very best.
France has a population of 64m and a surface area of 547 030 km². They are currently ranked 10th in the world, a clear change from between August 1998 and March 2005 when they were ranked as one of the top three teams in the world. In March 2009, they were even rated as low as12th. During the 1990s, the team was widely celebrated as an example of the modern multicultural French ideal, as the majority of their squad were members of racial minorities.
Football in France is governed by the F
