2022 World Cup: Country Profile - France

Paris, Nov 5 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Nov, 2022 ) :Factfile on France, who are in World Cup Group D: Best World Cup performance: Winners in 1998 and 2018 Other honours: European Championship winners in 1984 and 2000; FIFA Confederations Cup winners 2001, 2003; UEFA Nations League winners 2021 FIFA ranking: 4 Main clubs: Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lyon, Monaco, Rennes, Nice, Lille How they qualified: Finished first in European qualifying Group D Coach: Didier Deschamps, 54, is one of only three men to have won the World Cup as a player and a coach. He followed in the footsteps of Brazil's Mario Zagallo and West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer as he captained France to victory as hosts in 1998 and then coached them to glory four years ago in Russia. As a midfielder, Deschamps also won Euro 2000 with his country and was a Champions League winner with Marseille and Juventus. He was just 32 when he retired from playing and as a coach he took Monaco to a Champions League final and won Ligue 1 with Marseille before succeeding Laurent Blanc as France boss in 2012. Deschamps also took Les Bleus to the last eight in Brazil in 2014 and the Euro 2016 final. They had a poor Euro 2020 but bounced back to win last year's UEFA Nations League.

Key player: Karim Benzema is enjoying a remarkable twilight to his career. He will turn 35 the day after the World Cup final but he goes to Qatar fresh from winning the Ballon d'Or as recognition for his magnificent performances in captaining Real Madrid to glory in La Liga and the Champions League last season.

Benzema was frozen out of the France team for five and a half years -- missing the 2018 World Cup win -- due to his role in a blackmail scandal involving his international teammate Mathieu Valbuena. He was convicted for his role in that affair last year but by then he had returned to the France side, playing at Euro 2020 and in the team that won the UEFA Nations League.

Group fixtures November 22: France v Australia November 26: France v Denmark November 30: Tunisia v France Probable squad Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Alphonse Areola (West Ham United/ENG) Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich/GER), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Pierre Kalulu (AC Milan/ITA), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid/ESP), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich/GER), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Raphael Varane (Manchester United/ENG)Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus/ITA), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid/ESP)Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/ESP), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich/GER), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/ESP), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan/ITA), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig/GER)