France_national_under-21_football_team

France national under-21 football team

France national under-21 football team

National U-21 association 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 Championship, held every two years.

Quick Facts Nickname(s), Association ...

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 Championship, meaning a player can represent the national team until the age of 23.

France has won the Under-21 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 runners-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

2023

25 March Friendly England  4–0  France Leicester, England
 Report Stadium: King Power Stadium
Referee: Joey Kooij (Netherlands)
28 March Friendly France  0–0  Spain Vannes, France
Report Stadium: Stade de la Rabine
16 June Friendly France  1–0  Mexico Grenoble, France
 Report Stadium: Stade des Alpes
22 June U21 Euro 2023 GS France  2–1  Italy Cluj-Napoca, Romania
21:45 EEST (UTC+3)
Report
Stadium: Cluj Arena
Attendance: 11,286
Referee: Allard Lindhout (Netherlands)
25 June U21 Euro 2023 GS Norway  0–1  France Cluj-Napoca, Romania
21:45 EEST (UTC+3) Report
Stadium: Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu
Attendance: 1,507
Referee: Donatas Rumšas (Lithuania)
28 June U21 Euro 2023 GS Switzerland  1–4  France Cluj-Napoca, Romania
21:45 EEST (UTC+3)
Report
Stadium: Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu
Attendance: 1,652
Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark)
2 July U21 Euro 2023 QF France  1–3  Ukraine Cluj-Napoca, Romania
22:00 EEST (UTC+3)
Report
Stadium: Cluj Arena
Attendance: 6,281
Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal)
7 September Friendly France  4–1  Denmark Nancy, France
 Report
Stadium: Stade Marcel Picot
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Jonathan Lardot (Belgium)
11 September 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Slovenia  0–4  France Koper, Slovenia
Report
Stadium: Bonifika Stadium
Referee: Ondřej Berka (Czech Republic)
13 October 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Bosnia and Herzegovina  1–2  France Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Report
Stadium: Stadion Grbavica
Referee: Mohammed Al-Emara (Saudi Arabia)
17 October 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification France  9–0  Cyprus Grenoble, France
 Report Stadium: Stade des Alpes
Referee: Miloš Bošković (Montenegro)
17 November 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Austria  2–0  France Ried im Innkreis, Austria
  • Koller 25', 75'
 Report Stadium: Josko Arena
Referee: Robert Jones (England
20 November Friendly France  0–3  South Korea Le Havre, France
Report
Stadium: Stade Océane
Referee: Andrei Florin Chivulete (Romania)

2024

6 September 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification France  v  Slovenia TBD, France
10 September 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification France  v  Bosnia and Herzegovina TBD, France
11 October 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Cyprus  v  France TBD, Cyprus
15 October 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification France  v  Austria TBD, France

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

As of 21 August 2023
More information Position, Name ...

Players

Current squad

For the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons, including the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible.

The following 23 players were called up for 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Austria and for a friendly macth against South Korea on 17 and 20 November 2023, respectively.[3]

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

Caps and goals as of 17 November 2023, after the team's match against  Austria.

More information No., Pos. ...

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the France under-21 squad and remain eligible:

More information Pos., Player ...
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.
  • WD Player withdrew from the squad due to personal reasons.

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

More information Year, Result ...
*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.

See also

References

  1. [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. [2]
    "1988: Laurent Blanc". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  3. [3]
    "Fédération Française de Football" (in French).
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