France 2010 World Cup Team

France Football Team Profile & Form

France left it until the last possible moment to secure qualification for the 2010 Football World Cup. The France football team finished second in the UEFA qualifying Group 7, resulting in a qualification playoff against Ireland, which the French won with a controversial Gallas goal in extra time.

Fans will forgive the French for their performance in qualifying, given that they were placed in arguably the toughest qualifying group. However, the team’s performances outside of qualifying haven’t been very impressive, with losses to Nigeria and Argentina.

While the French will always pose a challenge to opponents, it’s hard to imagine this team repeating its performance at the 2006 World Cup and reaching the final of the tournament.

Quick Facts

Nickname: Les Bleus
Coach: Raymond Domenech
Confederation: UEFA
Best World Cup Performance: Winners (1998)
Highest FIFA Ranking: 1
Key Players: Nicolas Anelka Thierry Henry

France World Cup Betting Tip

At 16/1 France are a decent each-way bet in the outright World Cup markets, although they’ll need to do something special at the tournament to make this price drop and facilitate an odds trade on the betting exchanges.

A better bet seems to back France in the group winner markets. The French certainly have the flair, experience and skill to make the knockout rounds of the tournament. Their flamboyant attack should make matches high scoring affair, making over/under goal and goalscorer bets a smart option.