France national under-21 football team

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.

France Under-21
Nickname(s)Les Bleuets (The Little Blues)
Les Espoirs (The Hopes)
AssociationFrench Football Federation
Head coachSylvain Ripoll
Most capsMickaël Landreau (43)
Top scorerOdsonne Édouard (17)
First colours
Second colours
First international
U23: France 0–0 Norway 
(Alès, France; 11 November 1970)
U21: France 1–1 Belgium 
(Amiens, France; 3 September 1976)
Biggest win
France 7–0 Yugoslavia 
(Reims, France; 16 November 1985)
Biggest defeat
 England 6–0 France
(Sheffield, England; 28 February 1984)
Records for competitive
matches only.
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances9 (first in 1982)
Best resultWinners (1988)

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.

Team image

Media coverage

France's under-21 football friendlies and qualifying matches are broadcast by Direct 8.

Results and fixtures
Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

2021
31 May 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship QF Netherlands  2–1  France Budapest, Hungary
18:00
  • Boadu 51', 90+3'
 Report
Stadium: Bozsik Aréna
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
2 September 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H France  3–0  North Macedonia Le Mans, France
18:30
Report Stadium: MMArena
Referee: Juri Frischer (Estonia)
6 September 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H Faroe Islands  1–1  France Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
18:30
  • Løkin 55'
 Report
Stadium: Gundadalur
Referee: Volen Chinkov (Belarus)
8 October 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H France  5–0  Ukraine Brest, France
 Report Stadium: Stade Francis-Le Blé
Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland)
12 October 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H Serbia  0–3  France Belgrade, Serbia
Report
Stadium: Partizan Stadium
Referee: Nicolas Laforge (Belgium)
11 November 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H France  7–0  Armenia Grenoble, France
 Report Stadium: Stade des Alpes
Referee: Andrei Chivulete (Romania)
16 November 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H North Macedonia  0–1  France Skopje, North Macedonia
Report
Stadium: Toše Proeski Arena
Referee: Arda Kardeşler (Turkey)

2022
24 March 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H France  2–0  Faroe Islands Calais, France
 Report Stadium: Stade de l'Épopée
Referee: Luka Bilbija (Bosnia)
28 March Friendly France  5–0  Northern Ireland Calais, France
 Report Stadium: Stade de l'Épopée
Referee: Robert Jones (England)
TBD 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H Ukraine  Postponed  France TBD
Stadium: TBD
Note: The match was originally scheduled to be played on 29 March 2022 at Arena Lviv, Lviv but due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine was unable to host the match.
3 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H France  v  Serbia
7 June 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group H Armenia  v  France

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff
As of 22 April 2021
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

Players

Current squad

For the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, including the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, players born on or after 1 January 2000 are eligible.

The following 23 players have been called up for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Faroe Islands on 24 March 2022 and a friendly match against Northern Ireland on 28 March 2022.[3]

Note: Names in italics denote players that have been capped by the senior team.

Caps and goals as of 28 March 2022, after the team's match against  Northern Ireland.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
16 1GK Stefan Bajic (2001-12-23) 23 December 2001 1 0 Pau
23 1GK Guillaume Dietsch (2001-04-17) 17 April 2001 1 0 Seraing
1 1GK Lucas Chevalier (2001-11-06) 6 November 2001 0 0 Valenciennes
5 2DF Benoît Badiashile (vice-captain) (2001-03-26) 26 March 2001 13 0 Monaco
3 2DF Adrien Truffert (2001-01-20) 20 January 2001 12 0 Rennes
20 2DF Pierre Kalulu (2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 9 2 Milan
17 2DF Malo Gusto (2003-05-19) 19 May 2003 4 0 Lyon
4 2DF Warmed Omari (2000-04-23) 23 April 2000 2 0 Rennes
15 2DF Yasser Larouci (2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 1 1 Troyes
14 2DF Castello Lukeba (2002-12-17) 17 December 2002 1 0 Lyon
8 3MF Maxence Caqueret (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000 13 2 Lyon
10 3MF Eduardo Camavinga (2002-11-10) 10 November 2002 10 2 Real Madrid
12 3MF Sofiane Diop (2000-06-09) 9 June 2000 8 4 Monaco
19 3MF Khéphren Thuram (2001-03-26) 26 March 2001 8 0 Nice
6 3MF Enzo Le Fée (2000-02-03) 3 February 2000 5 1 Lorient
13 3MF Joris Chotard (2001-09-24) 24 September 2001 4 0 Montpellier
11 4FW Amine Gouiri (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 18 7 Nice
9 4FW Arnaud Kalimuendo (2002-01-20) 20 January 2002 9 4 Lens
22 4FW Nathan Ngoumou (2000-03-14) 14 March 2000 4 0 Toulouse
18 4FW Georginio Rutter (2002-04-20) 20 April 2002 2 0 1899 Hoffenheim

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 Illan Meslier (2000-03-02) 2 March 2000 7 0 Leeds United v.  Faroe Islands, 24 March 2022 INJ
DF William Saliba (captain) (2001-03-24) 24 March 2001 5 0 Marseille v.  Faroe Islands, 24 March 2022 SEN
DF Quentin Merlin (2002-05-16) 16 May 2002 0 0 Nantes v.  Faroe Islands, 24 March 2022 INJ
DF Loïc Badé (2000-04-11) 11 April 2000 3 0 Rennes v.  North Macedonia, 16 November 2021
DF Melvin Bard (2000-11-06) 6 November 2000 3 0 Nice v.  Armenia, 11 November 2021 INJ
DF Andy Pelmard (2000-03-12) 12 March 2000 2 0 Basel v.  Faroe Islands, 6 September 2021
DF Wesley Fofana (2000-12-17) 17 December 2000 3 0 Leicester City v.  Denmark, 25 March 2021 INJ
DF Rayan Aït-Nouri (2001-06-06) 6 June 2001 5 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers v.  Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ
DF Bafodé Diakité (2001-01-06) 6 January 2001 0 0 Toulouse v.  Slovakia, 12 October 2020
MF Michael Olise (2001-12-12) 12 December 2001 1 0 Crystal Palace v.  Northern Ireland, 28 March 2022 INJ
MF Alexis Beka Beka (2001-03-29) 29 March 2001 0 0 Lokomotiv Moscow v.  Serbia, 12 October 2021
MF Aurélien Tchouaméni (2000-01-27) 27 January 2000 4 0 Monaco v.  Liechtenstein, 12 November 2020 INJ
FW Amine Adli (2000-05-10) 10 May 2000 5 2 Bayer Leverkusen v.  Northern Ireland, 28 March 2022 INJ
FW Mohamed-Ali Cho (2004-01-19) 19 January 2004 5 0 Angers v.  North Macedonia, 16 November 2021
FW Rayan Cherki (2003-08-17) 17 August 2003 4 4 Lyon v.  North Macedonia, 16 November 2021
FW Hugo Ekitike (2002-06-20) 20 June 2002 0 0 Reims v.  North Macedonia, 16 November 2021
FW Janis Antiste (2002-08-18) 18 August 2002 1 0 Spezia v.  Serbia, 12 October 2021
FW Nathanaël Mbuku (2002-03-16) 16 March 2002 2 1 Reims v.  Faroe Islands, 6 September 2021
FW Sékou Mara (2002-07-30) 30 July 2002 2 0 Bordeaux v.  Faroe Islands, 6 September 2021
FW Isaac Lihadji (2002-04-10) 10 April 2002 2 1 Lille v.   Switzerland, 16 November 2020
FW Eric Junior Dina-Ebimbe (2000-11-21) 21 November 2000 1 0 Dijon v.  Azerbaijan, 7 September 2020
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

Honours
Champions (1): 1988
Runners-up (1): 2002
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

Competitive record

UEFA U-23 Championship
  • 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
Year Result Pld W D* L GS GA
1978Did not qualify401346
1980421132
1982Quarterfinals631298
1984Quarterfinals6312119
1986Quarterfinals82331313
1988Champions126512113
1990Did not qualify6321117
1992832375
1994Fourth Place141022248
1996Third Place14842305
1998Did not qualify8431138
20008622196
2002Runners-Up151230277
2004Did not qualify10811207
2006Semi-finals1410222410
2007Did not qualify421163
200910532177
20118431126
201310802237
2015108113111
201710622178
2019Semi-finals1411212811
2021Qualified109013210
Total1 title2051244437370167
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Main article: 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Qualification
Main article: 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group 2
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 —
Source: UEFA

See also

References
  1. "1988: France sweep to final glory". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  2. "1988: Laurent Blanc". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  3. "Fédération Française de Football".
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