France national under-21 football team
 | |||
| Nickname(s) | Les Bleuets (The Little Blues) Les Espoirs (The Hopes) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | French Football Federation | ||
| Head coach | Gérald Baticle | ||
| Captain | Castello Lukeba | ||
| Most caps | Mickaël Landreau (46) | ||
| Top scorer | Odsonne Édouard (17) | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 France 7–1 England  (Le Havre, France; 22 May 1952) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
France 9–0 Cyprus  (Grenoble, France; 17 October 2023) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
England 6–0 France .svg.png){kind=small} (Sheffield, England; 28 February 1984) Records for competitive matches only. | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 11 (first in 1982) | ||
| Best result | Winners (1988) | ||
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.
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 who 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
2025
| 21 March Friendly | France | 5–3 | England | Lorient, France |
| Report | Stadium: Stade du Moustoir Attendance: 15,271 Referee: Lothar D'Hondt (Belgium) |
| 24 March Friendly | Slovakia  | 0–4 | France | Trnava, Slovakia |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Anton Malatinský Stadium Referee: Gergő Bogár (Hungary) |
| 4 June Friendly | France | 2–1 |  Uzbekistan | Orléans, France |
| 21:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stade de la Source Referee: Sam Barrott (England) |
| 11 June U21 Euro 2025 GS | Portugal .svg.png){kind=small} | 0–0 | France | Trenčín, Slovakia |
| 21:00 | Report | Stadium: Štadión Sihoť Attendance: 4,932[3] Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (Lithuania) |
| 14 June U21 Euro 2025 GS | France | 3–2 |  Georgia | Žilina, Slovakia |
| 21:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Štadión pod Dubňom Attendance: 3,687[4] Referee: Jakob Sundberg (Denmark) |
| 17 June U21 Euro 2025 GS | France | 4–1 |  Poland | Žilina, Slovakia |
| 18:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Štadión pod Dubňom Attendance: 7,288[5] Referee: Nenad Minaković (Serbia) |
| 22 June U21 Euro 2025 QF | Denmark  | 2–3 | France | Prešov, Slovakia |
| 21:00 | Report | Stadium: Futbal Tatran Arena Attendance: 5,513[6] Referee: Sander van der Eijk (Netherlands) |
| 25 June U21 Euro 2025 SF | Germany  | 3–0 | France | Košice, Slovakia |
| 21:00 | Report | Stadium: Košická futbalová aréna Attendance: 11,913[7] Referee: Nick Walsh (Scotland) |
| 8 September Friendly | France | 3–0 |  Serbia | Lorient, France |
| 21:00 | Report | Stadium: Stade du Moustoir Attendance: 3,836 Referee: Lionel Tschudi (Switzerland) |
| 10 October U21 Euro 2027 qualification | Faroe Islands  | 0–6 | France | Klaksvík, Faroe Islands |
| 21:00 | Report | Stadium: Við Djúpumýrar Referee: Peiman Simani (Finland) |
| 13 October U21 Euro 2027 qualification | France | 6–1 |  Estonia | Grenoble, France |
| 21:00 | Report | Stadium: Stade des Alpes Referee: Jakob Semler (Austia) |
| 14 November U21 Euro 2027 qualification | Switzerland .svg.png){kind=small} | 1–1 | France | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| 21:00 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Stade de la Tuilière Referee: Ishmael Barbara (Malta) |
| 17 November U21 Euro 2027 qualification | France | 1–0 | Faroe Islands | Grenoble, France |
| 21:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stade des Alpes Referee: Igor Boşca (Moldova) |
2026
| 26 March U21 Euro 2027 qualification | Luxembourg  | v | France | Differdange, Luxembourg |
| Stadium: Stade Municipal |
| 30 March U21 Euro 2027 qualification | France | v |  Iceland | Auxerre, France |
| Stadium: Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
- As of 21 August 2024
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Gérald Baticle | French |
| Assistant coach | Gaël Clichy | French |
| Goalkeeping coach | Patrick L'Hostis | French |
| Doctor | Marc Chasselat | French |
| Physiotherapist | Florian Simon | French |
Players
Current squad
For the 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons, including the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, players born on or after 1 January 2004 are eligible.
The following players were called up for 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Luxembourg and Iceland on 26 and 30 March 2026; respectively.[8]
Note: Names in italics denote players that have been capped by the senior team.
Caps and goals as of 30 March 2026, after the match against Iceland.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Guillaume Restes | 11 March 2005 | 19 | 0 | Toulouse |
| 16 | GK | Robin Risser | 2 December 2004 | 5 | 0 | Lens |
| 23 | GK | Ewen Jaouen | 29 December 2005 | 2 | 0 | Newcastle United |
| 2 | DF | Leny Yoro | 13 November 2005 | 10 | 0 | Manchester United |
| 3 | DF | Saël Kumbedi | 26 March 2005 | 7 | 0 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 4 | DF | Ismaëlo Ganiou | 14 March 2005 | 2 | 0 | Lens |
| 13 | DF | Christian Mawissa | 8 April 2005 | 5 | 0 | Monaco[a] |
| 14 | DF | Jeanuël Belocian | 17 February 2005 | 7 | 0 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 15 | DF | Nathan Zézé | 18 June 2005 | 8 | 3 |  Neom |
| 19 | DF | Nhoa Sangui | 29 August 2006 | 2 | 0 | Paris FC |
| 21 | DF | Jaydee Canvot | 29 July 2006 | 6 | 0 | Crystal Palace |
| 5 | MF | Kévin Danois | 28 June 2004 | 2 | 0 | Auxerre |
| 6 | MF | Valentin Atangana | 25 August 2005 | 7 | 2 | Al-Ahli |
| 8 | MF | Lesley Ugochukwu | 26 March 2004 | 12 | 0 |  Galatasaray |
| 18 | MF | Mamadou Coulibaly | 21 April 2004 | 2 | 0 | Monaco[a] |
| 20 | MF | Ayyoub Bouaddi | 2 October 2007 | 10 | 1 | Lille |
| 7 | FW | Rayan Fofana | 12 February 2006 | 2 | 2 | Lens |
| 9 | FW | Steve Ngoura | 22 February 2005 | 2 | 1 | .svg.png){kind=small} Cercle Brugge |
| 10 | FW | Giovani Versini | 16 March 2004 | 2 | 0 | Pau |
| 11 | FW | Saïmon Bouabré | 1 June 2006 | 4 | 0 | Al-Hilal |
| 12 | FW | Herba Guirassy | 29 August 2006 | 1 | 0 | Nantes |
| 17 | FW | Dehmaine Tabibou | 17 April 2005 | 2 | 0 | Nantes |
| 22 | FW | Noé Lebreton | 22 April 2004 | 1 | 1 |  NEC |
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 | Lisandru Olmeta | 21 July 2005 | 0 | 0 | Torreense |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| DF | Jérémy Jacquet | 13 July 2005 | 5 | 0 | Liverpool |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| DF | Dayann Methalie | 18 February 2006 | 4 | 2 | Sunderland |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| DF | Thérence Koudou | 13 December 2004 | 1 | 0 | Mechelen |
v. Estonia, 13 October 2025 |
| DF | Kassoum Ouattara | 14 October 2004 | 3 | 0 | Beşiktaş |
v.  Italy, 15 November 2024 |
| DF | Yoan Koré | 16 November 2004 | 0 | 0 | Paris FC |
v.  Spain, 28 March 2023 |
| MF | Djaoui Cissé | 31 January 2004 | 8 | 4 | Rennes |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| MF | Louis Leroux | 23 January 2006 | 3 | 1 | Nantes |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| MF | Warren Zaïre-Emery | 8 March 2006 | 4 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain |
v. Estonia, 13 October 2025 |
| MF | Mathys Detourbet | 29 April 2007 | 0 | 0 | Monaco[a] |
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship PRE |
| FW | Mathys Tel | 27 April 2005 | 20 | 12 | Tottenham Hotspur |
v. Luxembourg, 26 March 2026 INJ |
| FW | Jean-Mattéo Bahoya | 7 May 2005 | 5 | 1 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
v. Luxembourg, 26 March 2026 INJ |
| FW | Senny Mayulu | 17 May 2006 | 2 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain |
v. Luxembourg, 26 March 2026 INJ |
| FW | Mamadou Diakhon | 22 September 2005 | 0 | 0 | Club Brugge |
v. Luxembourg, 26 March 2026 INJ |
| FW | Sidiki Cherif | 15 December 2006 | 0 | 0 | Coventry City |
v. Luxembourg, 26 March 2026 INJ |
| FW | Lucas Michal | 22 June 2005 | 1 | 0 | Cercle Brugge |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| FW | Wilson Odobert | 28 November 2004 | 16 | 5 | Tottenham Hotspur |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| FW | Eli Junior Kroupi | 23 June 2006 | 5 | 3 | Bournemouth |
v. Faroe Islands, 17 November 2025 |
| FW | Noah Edjouma | 4 October 2005 | 3 | 0 | Lille |
v. Estonia, 13 October 2025 |
| FW | Tidiam Gomis | 8 August 2006 | 0 | 0 | RB Leipzig |
2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship PRE |
| FW | Désiré Doué | 3 June 2005 | 4 | 1 | Paris Saint-Germain |
v. Italy, 15 November 2024 |
| FW | Mohamed-Ali Cho | 19 January 2004 | 8 | 0 | Nice |
v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 10 September 2024 |
- Notes
- Players in bold have played at senior level.
- CLU Player withdrew from the squad because of a club necessity.
- INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
- PRE Preliminary squad
- 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 (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 | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 1980 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1982 | Quarter-finals | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 |
| 1984 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | |
| 1986 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 13 | |
| 1988 | Champions | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 13 |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 |
| 1992 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 5 | |
| 1994 | Fourth place | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 8 |
| 1996 | Third place | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 5 |
 1998 | Did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 8 |
| 2000 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 6 | |
| 2002 | Runners-up | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 7 |
| 2004 | Did not qualify | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 7 |
| 2006 | Semi-finals | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 10 |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
 2009 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 7 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 6 | |
 2013 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 7 | |
 2015 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 11 | |
| 2017 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 8 | |
| 2019 | Semi-finals | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 11 |
  2021 | Quarter-finals | 14 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 13 |
| 2023 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 10 | |
| 2025 | Semi-finals | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 32 | 14 |
| Total | 1 title | 236 | 145 | 48 | 43 | 446 | 194 |
- *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
Notes
- 1 2 3 Monaco is a Monégasque club playing in the French football league system.
References
- ↑ "1988: France sweep to final glory". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Retrieved 12 July 2010.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "1988: Laurent Blanc". Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Retrieved 12 July 2010.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Portugal vs. France" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
- ↑ "France vs. Georgia" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 14 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ↑ "France vs. Poland" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ↑ "Denmark vs. France" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 22 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ↑ "Germany vs. France" (JSON). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ↑ "La liste de Gérald Baticle" (PDF) (in French). Fédération Française de Football. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
External links
French Football Federation (President: Philippe Diallo (interim)) Ligue féminine de football professionnel (President: Jean-Michel Aulas) | |||||||
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- France national under-21 football team
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