Group C | Cup Highlights | Results | Statistics | Roster | Road to France | Facts and Figures

France Stuns Mighty Brazil, the World

(Yves Herman/Reuters)

Led by a pair of goals from playmaker Zinedine Zidane (pictured), France won its first World Cup on July 12, defeating Brazil, 3-0, in front of 80,000 fans at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. France became the first host nation to win the World Cup since Argentina in 1978, and the victory triggered wild celebrations throughout the nation.

WILLIAM GILDEA: Heady Play From Reluctant Hero
For Joyous French, a Night to Remember

From The Post

JULY 12: French Fans Strike Out for Soccer
JULY 9: Exultant French Put Their Reserve on Hold
JULY 9: Win Does Little to Elevate People of Saint-Denis
JULY 5: Scoring Woes Hover Over Training camp
JULY 3: Jacquet Restores Gallic Glory

World Cup Highlights

Tenth appearance in the World Cup finals
Finished third in 1958 in Sweden and in 1986 in Mexico
Finished fourth in 1982 in Spain
Winner of European Championships 1984 in France

Results

Date Opponent Site First Round Friday, June 12 France 3, South Africa 0 Marseille Thursday, June 18 France 4, Saudi Arabia 0 Saint-Denis Wednesday, June 24 France 2, Denmark 1 Lyon Second Round Sunday, June 28 France 1, Paraguay 0 (OT) Lens Quaterfinals Friday, July 3 France 0, Italy 0 (4-3, penalty kicks) Saint-Denis Semifinals Tuesday, July 7 France 2, Croatia 1 Saint-Denis Championship Game Sunday, July 12 France 3, Brazil 0 Saint-Denis

First-Round Results
Championship Round Results

Statistics

Goals Name GP G A Thierry Henry 6 3 1 Zinedine Zidane 5 2 1 Emmanuel Petit 7 2 1 Lilian Thuram 6 2 1 Youri Djorkaeff 7 1 3 David Trezeguet 6 1 1 Bixente Lizarazu 6 1 1 Christophe Dugarry 3 1 1 Laurent Blanc 5 1 0 Fabien Barthez (GK) 7 0 1 Patrick Vieira 2 0 1 Marcel Desailly 7 0 0 Stephane Guivarc'h 6 0 0 Alain Boghossian 5 0 0 Didier Deschamps 5 0 0 Christian Karembeu 4 0 0 Bernard Diomede 3 0 0 Robert Pires 3 0 0 Frank Leboeuf 3 0 0 Vincent Candela 1 0 0

Goalkeeping Name GP Min. GA GAA Fabien Barthez 7 684 2 0.28

Roster

Pos. Name Age Club GK Lionel Charbonnier 31 AJ Auxerre GK Bernard Lama 35 West Ham United GK Fabien Barthez 26 AS Monaco D Franck Leboeuf 30 Chelsea D Bixente Lizarazu 28 Bayern Munich D Vincent Candela 24 Roma D Lilian Thuram 26 Parma D Marcel Desailly 29 AC Milan D Laurent Blanc 32 Olympique Marseille M Patrick Vieira 21 Arsenal M Alain Boghossian 27 Sampdoria M Christian Karembeu 27 Real Madrid M Emmanuel Petit 27 Arsenal M Zinedine Zidane 25 Juventus M Didier Deschamps 29 Juventus M Youri Djorkaeff 30 Inter Milan M Bernard Diomede 24 AJ Auxerre M Robert Pires 24 Metz F David Trezeguet 20 AS Monaco F Christophe Dugarry 26 Olympique Marseille F Stephane Guivarc'h 27 AJ Auxerre F Thierry Henry 20 Monaco

Road to France

Qualified as Host Nation

Facts and Figures

Knight-Ridder/Tribune
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain southeast of the United Kingdom; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain
Population: 58.1 million (1995 estimate)
Capital: Paris
Comparative area: Slightly more than twice the size of Colorado; largest West European nation
Religions: Roman Catholic 90 percent, Protestant 2 percent, Jewish 1 percent, Muslim (North African workers) 1 percent, unaffiliated 6 percent
Landscape: Mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east