Everything you need to know about France

France Euro 2022 group stage fixtures

Learn extra about Italy, Belgium and Iceland by clicking on the group’s identify.

How they certified

Main match report

European Championship

Finest European Championship efficiency: Quarter-finals- 2009, 2013 & 2017.

Most-recent European Championship efficiency: Quarter-finals- 2017.

FIFA World Cup

Finest World Cup efficiency: Semi-finals- 2011.

Most-recent World efficiency: Quarter-finals- 2019.

Olympic Video games

Finest Olympic efficiency: Semi-finals- 2012.

Most-recent Olympic efficiency: Quarter-final- 2016.

France at Euro 2022: Can les Bleues break their quarter-final hoodoo?

2J3JTXY Llanelli, UK. 08th Apr, 2022. Wales v France, Fifa Girls?s World Cup Qualifier, Parc Y Scarlets, Llanelli, UK, 8/4/22: Pic by Andrew Dowling Images/Alamy Stay information Credit score: Andrew Dowling/Alamy Stay Information

Will perennial underachievers France lastly attain their first-ever main match closing?

French membership Olympique Lyonnais have dominated the Champions League, profitable eight of the final 12 closing, due to a core of home gamers.

Nonetheless, this has not translated into worldwide success with France’s solely semi-final appearances coming at World Cup 2011 and the 2012 Olympics.

On the European Championships, les Bleues have fallen within the quarter-finals at every of the lsat three editions, most just lately to England 5 years in the past.

Likewise, on the final World Cup on residence soil, France beat Korea Republic, Norway, Nigeria and Brazil, earlier than being ousted within the final eight by USA.

Since that match although, Head Coach Corinne Diacre has proved to be a decisive determine, falling out with key gamers.

In consequence, Amandine Henry, Eugénie Le Sommer, Gaëtane Thiney and Sarah Bouhaddi, who’ve 580 caps between them, all gained’t be concerned this summer season.

Henry, the long-standing captain, and Le Sommer, the nation’s report goal-scorer, are notable absentees specifically.

Regardless of this, France have already certified for World Cup 2023 and have gained their final 13 internationals.

This contains profitable all three matches at February’s Tournoi, beating Finland, Brazil and the Netherlands in that pleasant competitors.

However, the actual fact key gamers have been omitted simply provides further scrutiny on Diacre, needing a superb match to carry onto her job.

France are more likely to get out of their group, that includes Italy, Belgium and Iceland, with the intense assessments to return within the knockout rounds.

Provided that heavyweights Sweden and Netherlands are more likely to come out of the group next-door, one other quarter-final exit could possibly be on the playing cards.

Key gamers: Wendie Renard

2J3JPA9 Llanelli, UK. 08th Apr, 2022. Wendie Renard of France celebrates scoring her sides first objective. Wales v France in a FIFA Girls’s World Cup Qualifier at Parc y Scarlets on the eighth April 2022 Credit score: Lewis Mitchell/Alamy Stay Information

Doubtless, essentially the most high-profile participant on this squad is centre-back extraordinaire Wendie Renard.

Since making her debut 11 years in the past, she’s collected 131 caps, that includes at two World Cups, two Olympics and this’ll be her third Euros.

What’s most notable is that, given Renard is a centre-back, she has scored 33 instances for her nation; solely six Frenchwomen have scored extra.

This contains 4 objectives on the 2019 World Cup, beginning with a brace within the match’s opening match in opposition to Korea Republic.

The 31 12 months outdated has spent her complete membership profession with Olympique Lyonnais, signing for them after a path on the age of simply 16.

With Lyon, Renard has picked up a staggering 34 main honours, together with 14 Division 1 titles and eight Champions League winners medals.

She has began in ten Champions League Finals, six as captain, spanning a 12 12 months interval.

Doubtless, Renard continues to be top-of-the-line defenders on the planet, and stays central to France’s success.

Key gamers: Grace Geyoro

Creteil, France. twenty second Oct, 2021. Grace GEYORO of France celebrates his objective throughout the FIFA Girls’s World Cup 2023, Qualifiers Group I match between France and Estonia on October 22, 2021 at Dominique Duvauchelle stadium in Creteil, France – Picture Matthieu Mirville / DPPI Credit score: DPPI Media/Alamy Stay Information

Compared to the captain, midfielder Grace Geyoro is a relative newcomer to this French facet.

The 24 12 months outdated has been a full-international since 2017, accumulating 49 caps, however was a non-playing member of the squad 5 summers in the past.

Two years later, on the World Cup on residence soil, Geyoro did see some motion, coming off the bench in opposition to Korea Republic after which Nigeria.

As of late, she’s a way more established member of this group, that includes in all 9 qualification and Tournoi matches this season.

Regardless of being a defensive midfielder, she generally chips in with the odd objective, netting thrice throughout World Cup 2023 qualifying.

Geyoro joined Paris Saint-Germain as a 15 12 months outdated and, since her senior debut eight years in the past, has made 155 appearances for les Rouge-et-Bleu.

This season, she was a central determine as PSG gained the Coupe de France, completed second in Division 1, and reached the Champions League semi-finals.

Now a key determine at worldwide match for the primary time, Geyoro will get the possibility to go head-to-head with Europe’s finest midfielders.

Key gamers: Marie-Antoinette Katoto

Le Havre, France on February 22, 2022, KADIDIATOU DIANI of FRANCE and MARIE-ANTOINETTE KATOTO have fun after scoring throughout the match of Tournoi De France 2022, between France and Netherlands, at Oceane Stadium, Le Havre, France on February 22, 2022. Picture by Loic Baratoux/ABACAPRESS.COM

Within the absence of each Amandine Henry and Eugénie Le Sommer, it’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto who will likely be spearheading the French assault.

Three summers in the past, all of the discuss was about Katoto’s exclusion from the squad.

Regardless of having been Division 1’s top-scorer, she was not included within the World Cup squad, however is now again for her first style of main match soccer.

Provided that the 2 celebrity strikers France might choose each aren’t within the squad, that is simply as effectively.

Katoto was their top-scorer in Euro 2022 qualifying, netting eight instances, additionally scoring ten instances within the ongoing World Cup qualifying cycle.

Again in February, the 23 12 months outdated’s inventory rose even larger when she scored braces in opposition to each Netherlands and Brazil throughout the Tournoi.

At membership degree, Katoto can also be a one-club participant, making 147 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain since her senior debut in April 2015.

These video games have yielded a really spectacular 136 objectives, 32 of which got here this season, together with a hat-trick within the Coupe de France Closing.

Having netted in opposition to Actual Madrid, Bayern Munich and Lyon within the Champions League, Katoto has proven she will function on the highest degree.

France doable beginning line-up for Euro 2022

France’s full squad for Euro 2022

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards