) | |||
| Nickname(s) | Les Bleuets (The Little Blues) Les Espoirs (The Hopes) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | French Football Federation | ||
| Head coach | Sylvain Ripoll | ||
| Most caps | Mickaël Landreau (43) | ||
| Top scorer | Odsonne Edouard (15) | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
U23:  France 0–0 Norway  (Alès, France; 11 November 1970) U21: France 1–1 Belgium .svg.png){kind=small} (Amiens, France; 3 September 1976) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
France 7–0 Yugoslavia .svg.png){kind=small} (Reims, France; 16 November 1985) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 England 6–0 France (Sheffield, England; 28 February 1984) matches only. | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1982) | ||
| Best result | Winners (1988) | ||
The France national under-21 football team (French: Equipe de France Espoirs), known in France as Les Espoirs (French pronunciation: [ɛs.pwaʁ], The Hopes), is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years.
Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, under-21 football teams in Europe were formed. The team is exclusively for football players that are age 21 or under at the start of the two-year campaign of the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship meaning a player can represent the national team until the age of 23.
France has won the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship once in 1988. Notable players on the team that went on to play for the senior national team include Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, Franck Sauzée, and Jocelyn Angloma, among others.[1] Blanc was named the tournament's Golden Player.[2] The team's best finish since was in 2002 when the team finished runner-up to the Czech Republic in Switzerland.
The France under-21 team does not have a permanent home. The team plays in stadiums located all around France, particularly grounds of Ligue 2 clubs. Because of the smaller demand compared to the senior national team, smaller facilities are used. Recently, the under-21 team has established the Stade Auguste-Delaune II, home of Stade Reims, as a home residence having played numerous matches there over the past two seasons.
History
Though, under-21 teams weren't formed until 1976, Les Espoirs, a youth national team in France, had existed since 1950 playing its first match on 22 May 1952 defeating England 7–1 at the Stade Jules Deschaseaux in Le Havre. The team's next match was two years later suffering a 3–1 defeat to Italy in Vicenza. For the rest of the decade, the youth team played seven more matches, which included a 1–1 draw with Hungary in Budapest and a 2–0 loss to England in Sunderland in 1959. In the 1960s, Espoirs continued to play matches against fellow national youth sides. However, on 18 December 1968, the team contested a match against Algeria senior team in Algiers recording an impressive 5–2 victory. Four days later, the team draw 1–1 with the under-23 team of Algeria in Oran. On 12 February 1969, the Espoirs played the Hungary senior team at the Stade Gerland in Lyon. The match ended in a 2–2 draw.
Results and fixtures 2019–2021
2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Qualification
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 10 | +22 | 27 | Final tournament | — | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2 | Switzerland | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 8 | +18 | 27 | 3–1 | — | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Georgia | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 15 | 0–2 | 0–3 | — | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 4 | Slovakia | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 21 | +1 | 12 | 3–5 | 1–2 | 3–2 | — | 2–1 | 6–0 | ||
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 6 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 35 | −32 | 3 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–0 | — |
Players
Current squad
For the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons, including the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, players born on or after 1 January 1998 are eligible.[3]
The following players were called up to participate in 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Liechtenstein U21 and Switzerland U21 on 12 and 16 November 2020.[4]
Note: Names in italics denote players that have been capped by the senior team.
Caps and goals as of 16 November 2020, after the team's match against Switzerland.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Alban Lafont | 23 January 1999 | 11 | 0 | Nantes | |
| GK | Dimitry Bertaud | 6 June 1998 | 1 | 0 | Montpellier | |
| GK | Illan Meslier | 2 March 2000 | 0 | 0 | Leeds United | |
| DF | Colin Dagba | 9 September 1998 | 13 | 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | |
| DF | Ibrahima Konaté | 25 May 1999 | 11 | 0 |  RB Leipzig | |
| DF | Boubacar Kamara | 23 November 1999 | 8 | 0 | Marseille | |
| DF | Nicolas Cozza | 8 January 1999 | 6 | 0 | Montpellier | |
| DF | Jules Koundé | 12 November 1998 | 5 | 1 |  Sevilla | |
| DF | Benoît Badiashile | 26 March 2001 | 4 | 0 |  Monaco | |
| DF | Adrien Truffert | 20 January 2001 | 2 | 0 | Rennes | |
| DF | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | 13 June 1998 | 1 | 0 | Brest | |
| MF | Jeff Reine-Adélaïde (captain) | 17 January 1998 | 21 | 7 | Nice | |
| MF | Matteo Guendouzi (vice-captain) | 14 April 1999 | 17 | 0 | Hertha BSC | |
| MF | Boubakary Soumaré | 27 February 1999 | 10 | 0 | Lille | |
| MF | Romain Faivre | 14 July 1998 | 4 | 2 | Brest | |
| MF | Maxence Caqueret | 15 February 2000 | 4 | 0 | Lyon | |
| MF | Ibrahima Diallo | 8 March 1999 | 4 | 0 | Southampton | |
| FW | Moussa Diaby | 7 July 1999 | 11 | 0 | Bayer Leverkusen | |
| FW | Odsonne Édouard | 16 January 1998 | 10 | 15 |  Celtic | |
| FW | Amine Gouiri | 16 February 2000 | 8 | 4 | Nice | |
| FW | Randal Kolo | 5 December 1998 | 4 | 1 | Nantes | |
| FW | Isaac Lihadji | 10 April 2002 | 2 | 1 | Lille | |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the France under-21 squad and remain eligible:
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Gaëtan Poussin | 13 January 1999 | 0 | 0 | Bordeaux | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
| DF | Dayot Upamecano | 27 October 1998 | 15 | 0 | RB Leipzig | v. Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ |
| DF | Rayan Aït-Nouri | 6 June 2001 | 5 | 0 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | v. Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ |
| DF | Wesley Fofana | 17 December 2000 | 2 | 0 | Leicester City | v. Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ |
| DF | Andy Pelmard | 12 March 2000 | 2 | 0 | Nice | v. Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ |
| DF | Yvann Maçon | 1 October 1998 | 2 | 0 | Saint-Étienne | v. Slovakia, 12 October 2020 |
| DF | Bafodé Diakité | 6 January 2001 | 0 | 0 | Toulouse | v. Slovakia, 12 October 2020 |
| DF | Melvin Bard | 6 November 2000 | 1 | 0 | Lyon | v. Slovakia, 12 October 2020 INJ |
| DF | Faitout Maouassa | 6 June 1998 | 3 | 0 | Rennes | v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2020 |
| DF | Evan N'Dicka | 20 August 1999 | 1 | 0 | Eintracht Frankfurt | v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2020 |
| DF | Dan-Axel Zagadou | 3 June 1999 | 6 | 2 | Borussia Dortmund | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
| DF | Kelvin Amian | 8 February 1998 | 18 | 0 | Toulouse | v. Slovakia, 15 October 2019 |
| DF | Sofiane Alakouch | 29 July 1998 | 1 | 0 | Nîmes | v. Slovakia, 15 October 2019 |
| DF | Malang Sarr | 23 January 1999 | 8 | 0 |  Porto | 2019 UEFA Under-21 Football Championship |
| DF | Stanley Nsoki | 9 April 1999 | 1 | 0 | Nice | v. Spain, 19 November 2018 |
| MF | Houssem Aouar | 30 June 1998 | 16 | 4 | Lyon | v. Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 SEN |
| MF | Imran Louza | 1 May 1999 | 6 | 0 | Nantes | v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2020 |
| MF | Jean-Ricner Bellegarde | 27 June 1998 | 3 | 0 | Strasbourg | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
| MF | Zaydou Youssouf | 11 July 1999 | 2 | 0 | Saint-Étienne | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
| MF | Eduardo Camavinga | 10 November 2002 | 1 | 0 | Rennes | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
| MF | Youssouf Fofana | 10 January 1999 | 1 | 0 | Monaco | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
| MF | Jean-Victor Makengo | 12 June 1998 | 3 | 0 |  Udinese | v. Slovakia, 15 October 2019 |
| MF | Antoine Bernède | 26 May 1999 | 2 | 0 |  Red Bull Salzburg | v.  Czech Republic, 9 September 2019 |
| FW | Jonathan Ikoné | 2 May 1998 | 14 | 3 | Lille | v. Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ |
| FW | Arnaud Nordin | 17 June 1998 | 7 | 1 | Saint-Étienne | v. Slovakia, 12 October 2020 |
| FW | Arnaud Kalimuendo | 20 January 2002 | 1 | 0 | Lens | v. Slovakia, 12 October 2020 |
| FW | Bryan Mbeumo | 7 August 1999 | 6 | 1 | Brentford | v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2020 |
| FW | Eric Junior Dina-Ebimbe | 21 November 2000 | 1 | 0 | Dijon | v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2020 |
| FW | Mounir Chouiar | 23 January 1999 | 1 | 0 | Dijon | v. Switzerland, 19 November 2019 |
- Notes
- Players in italics have played at senior level.
- COV Withdrew due to COVID-19
- CLU Player withdrew from the squad because of a club necessity.
- INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
- SEN Player withdrew from the squad due to a call up to the senior team.
- SH Player sent home by team staff.
Previous squads
Coaching staff
- As of 2018
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | Sylvain Ripoll | French |
| Assistant manager | Patrice Gonfalone | French |
| Assistant manager | José Alcocer | French |
| Goalkeeping coach | Sylvain Matrisciano | French |
| Doctor | François Brochet | French |
| Physiotherapist | Guy Puravet | French |
Competitive record
- For single-match results of the under-21 national team, see French football single-season articles.
UEFA U-23 Championship Record
- 1972: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 4 in qualification group.
- 1974: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 3 in qualification group.
- 1976: Losing quarter-finalists.
UEFA European Under-21 Championship Record
| Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 1980 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 |
| 1984 | Quarterfinals | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 |
| 1986 | Quarterfinals | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 13 |
| 1988 | Champions | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 13 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 |
| 1992 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | |
| 1994 | Fourth Place | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 8 |
| 1996 | Third Place | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 5 |
 1998 | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 8 |
| 2000 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 6 | |
| 2002 | Runners-Up | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 7 |
| 2004 | Did not qualify | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 7 |
| 2006 | Semi-finals | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 10 |
 2007 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
 2009 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 7 | |
 2011 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 6 | |
 2013 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 7 | |
| 2015 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 11 | |
 2017 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8 | |
 2019 | Semi-finals | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 11 |
  2021 | Qualified | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 10 |
| Total | 1 title | 205 | 124 | 44 | 37 | 370 | 167 |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
- **Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.
Honours
- Champions (12): 1977, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2015
- Finalists (14): 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016
Broadcaster
France's under-21 football friendlies and qualifying matches are broadcast by Direct 8.
References
- ^ "1988: France sweep to final glory". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ "1988: Laurent Blanc". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ "2017-19 UEFA European Under-21 Championship regulations" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
- ^ "Dernière sélection". French Football Federation (in French). 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.