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| France 1994 |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
South France
Players born in the Overeseas Department and former French Colonies
French Black Players
French Players Capped by Other National Teams
England World Cup 1974
South France
Players born in the Overeseas Department and former French Colonies
French Black Players
French Players Capped by Other National Teams
England World Cup 1974
Argentina World Cup 1946
Hungary World Cup 1950
In 1994, France had a formidable team featuring the 1991 Ballon d'Or recipient Jean Pierre Papin, alongside talents like Eric Cantona, Marcel Desailly, and Didier Deschamps. Their journey to qualify for the 1994 World Cup Finals in the USA was tense. With just two games remaining, they only required a draw. However, in the first of these matches, they suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Israel, conceding a 90th-minute goal. This loss set the stage for a decisive clash with Bulgaria in the final round of World Cup Qualifiers. France needed only a draw to secure advancement, while Bulgaria required a victory. Eric Cantona provided France with an early lead in the 32nd minute, but Bulgaria's Emil Kostadinov equalized just five minutes later. Then, in the 90th minute, a critical error by David Ginola proved costly. Instead of retaining possession to run down the clock, his cross led to a Bulgarian counterattack and subsequent goal, sealing Bulgaria's qualification for the World Cup Finals.
In the 1994 World Cup Final held in the USA, both Bulgaria and Sweden, the group winner of the World Cup Qualifiers, progressed to the semifinals. Considering this, what impact would France have had if they had qualified for the USA 1994 World Cup?
This is the 22 players I selected for France if they had qualified for USA 1994.
Sweden World Cup1950
Austria-Hungary World Cup 1954
Argentina World Cup 1958
Scotland World Cup 1970
United Kingdom World Cup 1970
England World Cup 1974
United Kingdom World Cup1982
Netherlands Euro 1984 with Cruyff, Van Basten, Gullit
Austria-Hungary World Cup 1954
Argentina World Cup 1958
Scotland World Cup 1970
United Kingdom World Cup 1970
England World Cup 1974
United Kingdom World Cup1982
Netherlands Euro 1984 with Cruyff, Van Basten, Gullit
Italy Euro 1992
United Kingdom World Cup 1994
Yugoslavia World Cup 1994
France World Cup 1994
Germany World Cup 2002
Netherlands World Cup 2002
United Kingdom World Cup 1994
Yugoslavia World Cup 1994
France World Cup 1994
Germany World Cup 2002
Netherlands World Cup 2002
Spain without Catalan players World Cup 2010
USA World Cup 2010
If Ronaldo and Messi played for Australia in 2006
Brazil 1982 with Careca,etc
Ireland/Northern Ireland Combined Team 1986 World Cup
USA World Cup 2010
If Ronaldo and Messi played for Australia in 2006
Brazil 1982 with Careca,etc
Ireland/Northern Ireland Combined Team 1986 World Cup
In 1994, France had a formidable team featuring the 1991 Ballon d'Or recipient Jean Pierre Papin, alongside talents like Eric Cantona, Marcel Desailly, and Didier Deschamps. Their journey to qualify for the 1994 World Cup Finals in the USA was tense. With just two games remaining, they only required a draw. However, in the first of these matches, they suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Israel, conceding a 90th-minute goal. This loss set the stage for a decisive clash with Bulgaria in the final round of World Cup Qualifiers. France needed only a draw to secure advancement, while Bulgaria required a victory. Eric Cantona provided France with an early lead in the 32nd minute, but Bulgaria's Emil Kostadinov equalized just five minutes later. Then, in the 90th minute, a critical error by David Ginola proved costly. Instead of retaining possession to run down the clock, his cross led to a Bulgarian counterattack and subsequent goal, sealing Bulgaria's qualification for the World Cup Finals.
In the 1994 World Cup Final held in the USA, both Bulgaria and Sweden, the group winner of the World Cup Qualifiers, progressed to the semifinals. Considering this, what impact would France have had if they had qualified for the USA 1994 World Cup?
This is the 22 players I selected for France if they had qualified for USA 1994.
Prediction
Following the defeat by Bulgaria in 1993, Aime Jacquet was appointed as the interim manager for France. Subsequently, due to a series of victories, he was promoted to the full-time managerial position. Remarkably, France embarked on a 30-match unbeaten streak after the loss to Bulgaria, with their first defeat in 1996 against Denmark. Notably, this unbeaten run encompassed Euro 1996, where they were eliminated by the Czech Republic via a penalty shootout, which technically counted as a draw. The unbeaten run would also encompass the periods during the World Cup in 1994.
In this hypothetical World Cup finals scenario, France was not seeded because the seeded teams were determined by their performance in the last three World Cups. Given that France had not qualified for the previous World Cup, it was assumed that they would not be seeded. They would be put on Pot 3, replacing Bulgaria. So I would place France in Bulgaria's original Group D alongside Nigeria, Greece and Argentina.
France's path in the tournament, apart from the initial group game against Nigeria, seemed fairly predictable. France seemed to be in good form due to its unbeaten record, but Nigeria was the "hot" team during that stage of the World Cup Finals. Greece was perceived as one of the weakest teams in United States, while France was set to encounter Argentina in the final group match. With Diego Maradona's expulsion from the tournament due to a failed drug test, Argentina's situation descended into chaos, making the match against France appear relatively straightforward. France was on track to advance to the Knockout stage, but it was uncertain whether they would secure a spot as the first or second-placed team. So I would just analyse some of the possible opponents in the knockout stage.
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| Lizarazu, Deschamps, Zidane and Guerin |
Mexico
Mexico has won only one match in the knockout stage in their World Cup history, which occurred in 1986 when they were the host nation. Mexico was also one of France's "victims" during their unbeaten run.
Germany
Germany or West Germany eliminated France in France's last two World Cup exits, specifically in the World Cup tournaments of 1982 and 1986. They could be seen as France's jinx team. However, after West Germany beat France in the 1986 World Cup Finals, France only lost once against them between 1986 to 2013. Notably, Germany was one of the teams that fell to France during their unbeaten streak.
Italy
France's unbeaten run actually started with a victory over Italy in Napoli. Additionally, Italy's journey in the 1994 World Cup was far from seamless. However, Italy found themselves benefiting from some luck, with Roberto Baggio leading the charge with his exceptional goal-scoring prowess. Their resilience made them a tough team to overcome. Italy might be the toughest team to beat for France.
Spain
From 1981 to 2000, France was undefeated against Spain in 8 matches.
Nigeria (again)
Nigeria was eliminated in the R16 by Italy. However, in this hypothetical scenario, they could qualify second in the Group Stage and ended up playing Mexico in the R16. So, it was possible that Nigeria could have a rematch with France in the semi-final. However, no national team from outside Europe or South America has ever reached the World Cup Final. Beating them in the semifinal would be likely.
Brazil (Final)
It is a common belief that France was regarded as a jinx team for Brazil in the World Cup Finals. France has a stronger overall record against Brazil in the tournament's history. However, France only managed to tip the scales in their favor by securing wins in 1998 and 2006, altering the overall record in their favor. In 1994, their head-to-head record was still one win each for both countries, although France's victory should technically be considered a draw as it was achieved through a penalty shootout. It's also worth noting that Brazil emerged victorious against France in a 1992 friendly match, although the lineups were very different.
Conclusion
I had doubts about France's potential to make a deep run in the tournament. Two years earlier, France arrived at the European Championship in 1992 with a three-year 19-match unbeaten run. They won all of their qualifying matches. In Sweden, they were eliminated in the group stage after 2 draws and a defeat. The code of that team was also on this 1994 team. Criticism abounded for that era of French players, who were often accused of lacking the necessary drive and determination for victory. Cantona, in particular, was a controversial figure in France prior to his move to England. He was involved in public disputes with national team manager Henri Michel in the 1980s and encountered issues with the management at Marseille and Nîmes. His conflicts with Deschamps and Ginola were also well-documented. Team harmony could be an issue in the United States. Considering these factors, I questioned whether France possessed the mental fortitude to be a serious contender in 1994.
Team (only 22 players were allowed in 1994)
GK: Bernard Lama (PSG)
Lama left Guiana in 1981 to come to France to become a professional footballer. He started with Lille, but also played in Brest and Metz. In 1992, he joined PSG, where he found stardom. He won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. After a brief career with West Ham and Rennes, he retired. Capped 44 times. He was mainly a backup throughout his NT career. He was on the team that won the WC in 1998.
GK: Bruno Martini ( Montpellier HSC)
Bruno Martini started playing professionally for AJ Auxerre. After a loan stint with AS Nancy, going on to appear in 322 Ligue 1 games while also helping it to a 1992–93 semifinal run in the UEFA Cup. He also played for Montpellier. Having gained more than 30 caps for France during nine years, Martini represented the nation in two European Championships: 1992 and 1996
GK: Fabien Barthez (Marseille)
Barthez is France's most decorated goalkeeper. He had 87 caps for "Les Bleus". He won the World Cup in 1998 at home and then, the Euro 2000 two years later. He is France's most capped player in the World Cup, with 17 appearances at the finals and shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets with Peter Shilton. For domestic football, he played with Toulouse, Marseille, AS Monaco, Manchester United and Nantes. He also won a Champions League medal with Marseille in 1993.
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| Barthez & Blanc |
RB: Jocelyn Angloma (Marseille)
Angloma was a member of the great Marseille team of the early 1990's. He won the European Cup in 1993. He later played for Valencia and reached the Champions' League Final twice. He was a member of the French team at Euro 1992 and 1996. In 2006, Angloma came out of retirement to play for his native région, Guadeloupe, and help them qualify for the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup.
RB/CB: Lilian Thuram (AS Monaco)
Lilian Thuram is France's most capped player. He played in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. He also played for Barcelona FC. With France, Thuram won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000, and was in the runner-up squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He scored two goals vs Croatia in the semifinal of the World Cup in 1998.
LB: Bixente Lizarazu (Bordeaux)
Bixente Lizarazu was the leftback for the all-conquering French national team, winning the World Cup in 1998 at home and European Championship in 2000. He had 97 caps from 1992 and 2004. Lizarazu began his professional career with Girondins de Bordeaux. He also played fort Athletic Bilbao, but better known for playing with Bayern Munich for 9 seasons. He won the Champions' League in 2001. He is a Basque and he also played for Atletico Bilbao.
AM: Reynald Pedros (Nantes)
Reynald Pedros was part of the magic trio of FC Nantes with Patrice Loko and Nicolas Ouédec in the 1990's. He won the Ligue 1 title with Nantes in 1995. The following year he reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. He also played for many clubs, including Mariselle, Nastia, Napoli, Parma, Lyon, etc. He was capped 25 times. His reputation suffered after the European Championship in 1996, where he missed a penalty against the Czech Republic.
FW/AM: Youri Djorkaeff (AS Monaco)
Youri Djorkaeff is the son of French international Jean Djorkaeff. He played for many clubs in Europe, including Monaco, PSG, Inter Milan, Kaiserslautern, etc. He earned 82 caps between 1993 and 2002. He was an important part of the great French team that won the World Cup in 1998 and then European Championship in 2000. He is considered one of the best French offensive players in that era. He was named FIFA XI in 1997.
Squad Explanation
-- I edited this team in July 2024. I added many sections and changed the photos of 1994 and 1995 for each players.
-- In real life, Fabian Barthez made his national team debut in June 1994 under new manager Aime Jacquet. Houllier was not the manager by then. I do not know if Houllier would give Barthez his debut if France qualified and he remained the manager. But Barthez is probably the best third keeper available. So, I took him to the USA. He is the only player on this team who made his national team debut after the ill-fated World Cup Qualifiers.
-- Eric Cantona was the PFA Player of the Year in England that season. He scored 25 goals, which was his highest output during his career with Manchester United.
Angloma was a member of the great Marseille team of the early 1990's. He won the European Cup in 1993. He later played for Valencia and reached the Champions' League Final twice. He was a member of the French team at Euro 1992 and 1996. In 2006, Angloma came out of retirement to play for his native région, Guadeloupe, and help them qualify for the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup.
RB/CB: Lilian Thuram (AS Monaco)
Lilian Thuram is France's most capped player. He played in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. He also played for Barcelona FC. With France, Thuram won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000, and was in the runner-up squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He scored two goals vs Croatia in the semifinal of the World Cup in 1998.
CB/DM: Paul Le Guen (PSG)
During his playing career, Paul Le Guen played at Stade Brest for six years, Nantes Atlantique for two years, before leaving Brittany for Paris St. Germain where he played for seven years (with 478 appearances and a Cup Winners' Cup medal in 1996). At international level, between 1993 and 1995, he only played 17 times for France due to injuries and he was part of the team which lost out on a trip to the World Cup in 1994.
CB: Laurent Blanc (Saint Étienne)
Laurent Blanc was nicknamed "Le Président" for leadership skills. He had over 90 caps. He was a key member of the French team that won the 1998 World Cup at home and the 2000 European Championship in Belgium and Holland. The team was known for its defence as well as its offence. For his club career, he played for Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Internazionale and Manchester United.
During his playing career, Paul Le Guen played at Stade Brest for six years, Nantes Atlantique for two years, before leaving Brittany for Paris St. Germain where he played for seven years (with 478 appearances and a Cup Winners' Cup medal in 1996). At international level, between 1993 and 1995, he only played 17 times for France due to injuries and he was part of the team which lost out on a trip to the World Cup in 1994.
CB: Laurent Blanc (Saint Étienne)
Laurent Blanc was nicknamed "Le Président" for leadership skills. He had over 90 caps. He was a key member of the French team that won the 1998 World Cup at home and the 2000 European Championship in Belgium and Holland. The team was known for its defence as well as its offence. For his club career, he played for Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Internazionale and Manchester United.
CB/DM: Marcel Desailly (AC Milan)
Marcel Desailly was considered to be one of the greatest defensive players during the 1990's. He played 116 times for France, winning the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. He was the first player to win the European Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs, when he won it with Marseille in 1993 and AC Milan the following year. He also played for Nantes and Chelsea, among others.
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| Marcel Desailly |
CB: Alain Roche (PSG)
In his club career, Alain Roche played for Bordeaux, Marseille, Auxerre, Paris SG and Valencia. His most productive years were spent at Bordeaux between 1985 and 1989 and Paris St Germaine between 1992 and 1998, where he notably won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. For France, he played 25 times between 1988 and 1996. He went to European Championship of 1996 in England.
In his club career, Alain Roche played for Bordeaux, Marseille, Auxerre, Paris SG and Valencia. His most productive years were spent at Bordeaux between 1985 and 1989 and Paris St Germaine between 1992 and 1998, where he notably won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. For France, he played 25 times between 1988 and 1996. He went to European Championship of 1996 in England.
LB: Bixente Lizarazu (Bordeaux)
Bixente Lizarazu was the leftback for the all-conquering French national team, winning the World Cup in 1998 at home and European Championship in 2000. He had 97 caps from 1992 and 2004. Lizarazu began his professional career with Girondins de Bordeaux. He also played fort Athletic Bilbao, but better known for playing with Bayern Munich for 9 seasons. He won the Champions' League in 2001. He is a Basque and he also played for Atletico Bilbao.
LB: Éric Di Meco (Marseille)
CM: Emmanuel Petit (AS Monaco)
Eric Di Meco played mostly for Olympique de Marseille, serving loans at AS Nancy and FC Martigues. After Marseille's relegation at the end of the 1993–94 season, due to irregularities, Di Meco joined AS Monaco FC where he won a league title at the age of 35. He was capped 23 times for France between 1989 and 1996. He went to European Championship of 1996.
DM: Didier Deschamps (Marseille)
Deschamps was only the second player in history to captain his team to lift the three big trophies: the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy and the European Championship trophy. He started his career with Nantes. The prime of his career was spent with Marseille and Juventus, where he won a Champions League for both club. He earned 103 caps between 1989 and 2000. He also played for Nantes, Chelsea and Valencia.
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| Didier Deschamps |
Emmanuel Petit had over 60 caps for France between 1990 and 2003. He represented France in two World Cups and two European Championships; he scored the third goal in France's 3–0 victory in the 1998 World Cup Final and was also a member of the French squad that won Euro 2000. He played at club level for Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea as a midfielder. He was on PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 1998–99.
CM: Vincent Guerin (PSG)
In a career stretching from 1984 to 2002, Vincent Guerin played for Stade Brestois 29, Matra Racing, Montpellier Hérault, Paris Saint-Germain, Heart of Midlothian in Scotland and, finally, with Red Star 93. With PSG, he won the Cup Winners' Cup. He was capped 19 times for France. He went to the 1996 European Championship in England. He was named Division 1 Player of the Year in 1994-95 and French Player of the Year in 1997.
LW: Pascal Vahirua (AJ Auxerre)Pascal Vahirua was born in Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. He moved to France as a 16 years old. In France, he spent most of his career with AJ Auxerre. He also played for Coen. He was capped 22 times for France between 1991 and 1994. He was the first Polynesian ever to play for France. He was a member of the French team at the European Championship in 1992.
CM: Vincent Guerin (PSG)
In a career stretching from 1984 to 2002, Vincent Guerin played for Stade Brestois 29, Matra Racing, Montpellier Hérault, Paris Saint-Germain, Heart of Midlothian in Scotland and, finally, with Red Star 93. With PSG, he won the Cup Winners' Cup. He was capped 19 times for France. He went to the 1996 European Championship in England. He was named Division 1 Player of the Year in 1994-95 and French Player of the Year in 1997.
LW: Pascal Vahirua (AJ Auxerre)
LW: David Ginola (PSG)
For the national team, Ginola only earned 17 times between 1990 ans 1995. He was blamed for the goal against Bulgaria that eliminated France for the 1994 World Cup qualification. He moved to England shortly afterward. Ginola became a big star at the English Preimer League in the late 1990's. In England, he played for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspurs, Aston Villa and Everton. he won both PFA and FWA Player of the Year in 1998-1999. AM: Reynald Pedros (Nantes)
Reynald Pedros was part of the magic trio of FC Nantes with Patrice Loko and Nicolas Ouédec in the 1990's. He won the Ligue 1 title with Nantes in 1995. The following year he reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. He also played for many clubs, including Mariselle, Nastia, Napoli, Parma, Lyon, etc. He was capped 25 times. His reputation suffered after the European Championship in 1996, where he missed a penalty against the Czech Republic.
FW/AM: Youri Djorkaeff (AS Monaco)
Youri Djorkaeff is the son of French international Jean Djorkaeff. He played for many clubs in Europe, including Monaco, PSG, Inter Milan, Kaiserslautern, etc. He earned 82 caps between 1993 and 2002. He was an important part of the great French team that won the World Cup in 1998 and then European Championship in 2000. He is considered one of the best French offensive players in that era. He was named FIFA XI in 1997.
AM: Zinedine Zidane (Bordeaux)
Zinedine Zidane was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, and has been described as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He led France to victory at the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. With Real Madrid, he also won the Champions League in 2002, where he scored one of the greatest goals in history at the Final.
FW: Eric Cantona (Manchester United)
Before joining Leeds United in 1992, Eric Cantona was known as the bad boy of French football. He played for many French clubs before he moved to England to restart his career. In England, he became a huge star. He won the league title with Leeds United and moved to Manchester United. At Manchester United, he became one of their best ever players. For the national team, he was a part of the ill-fated national team that failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994.
Zinedine Zidane was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, and has been described as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He led France to victory at the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. With Real Madrid, he also won the Champions League in 2002, where he scored one of the greatest goals in history at the Final.
FW: Eric Cantona (Manchester United)
Before joining Leeds United in 1992, Eric Cantona was known as the bad boy of French football. He played for many French clubs before he moved to England to restart his career. In England, he became a huge star. He won the league title with Leeds United and moved to Manchester United. At Manchester United, he became one of their best ever players. For the national team, he was a part of the ill-fated national team that failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994.
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| Eric Cantona |
ST: Patrice Loko (Nantes)
Once projected to be a star player in France before mental issue got to him. He began his career at Nantes and then moved on to Paris Saint-Germain, where he was part of the team that won the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup. From there he went on to play for Montpellier, Lyon, Troyes, FC Lorient and Ajaccio. He also made appearances for France, including scoring at Euro 1996 against Bulgaria.
Once projected to be a star player in France before mental issue got to him. He began his career at Nantes and then moved on to Paris Saint-Germain, where he was part of the team that won the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup. From there he went on to play for Montpellier, Lyon, Troyes, FC Lorient and Ajaccio. He also made appearances for France, including scoring at Euro 1996 against Bulgaria.
ST: Jean Pierre Papin (AC Milan)
Jean Pierre Papin is the Ballon d'Or winner in 1991. He was a member of the great Olympique de Marseille team of the 1990's that won four Lique in a row, but left the season before they lifted their first ever European Cup. He later played for AC Milan, FC Bayern Munich, Bordeaux, Guingamp, JS Saint-Pierroise and US Cap-Ferret. Papin also played 54 times for the French national team. He went to the World Cup Finals in 1986 and the European Championship in 1992.
Jean Pierre Papin is the Ballon d'Or winner in 1991. He was a member of the great Olympique de Marseille team of the 1990's that won four Lique in a row, but left the season before they lifted their first ever European Cup. He later played for AC Milan, FC Bayern Munich, Bordeaux, Guingamp, JS Saint-Pierroise and US Cap-Ferret. Papin also played 54 times for the French national team. He went to the World Cup Finals in 1986 and the European Championship in 1992.
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| Jean Pierre Papin |
Players Pool
William Prunier, Bruno Ngotty, Jean-Luc Dogon, Franck Silvestre, Basile Boli, Jean-Luc Sassus, Bernard Casoni, Franck Sauzée, Christian Karembeu, Christian Perez, Jean-Philippe Durand, Laurent Fournier, Jérôme Gnako, Jean-Michel Ferri, Zinedine Zidane, Corentin Martins, Christophe Cocard, Xavier Gravelaine, Christophe Dugarr, Nicolas Ouédec.
William Prunier, Bruno Ngotty, Jean-Luc Dogon, Franck Silvestre, Basile Boli, Jean-Luc Sassus, Bernard Casoni, Franck Sauzée, Christian Karembeu, Christian Perez, Jean-Philippe Durand, Laurent Fournier, Jérôme Gnako, Jean-Michel Ferri, Zinedine Zidane, Corentin Martins, Christophe Cocard, Xavier Gravelaine, Christophe Dugarr, Nicolas Ouédec.
Squad Explanation
-- I edited this team in July 2024. I added many sections and changed the photos of 1994 and 1995 for each players.
-- Gérard Houllier was their manager from 1992 to 1993. He resigned after their failure to qualify for the World Cup Finals. Aime Jacquet was appointed as the new manager. This team is not managed neither manager.
-- France played in the Kirin Cup on May 1994 under new manager Aime Jacquet. France used a similar lineup as the ill-fated game against Bulgaria. Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Jean-Pierre Papin, David Ginola, Emmanuel Petit, Reynald Pedros and Didiner Deschamps played in the game against Bulgaria.
-- France played in the Kirin Cup on May 1994 under new manager Aime Jacquet. France used a similar lineup as the ill-fated game against Bulgaria. Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Jean-Pierre Papin, David Ginola, Emmanuel Petit, Reynald Pedros and Didiner Deschamps played in the game against Bulgaria.
-- Lilian Thuram, Christian Karembeu, Zinedine Zidane and Christophe Dugarry all made their debut in 1994 after the World Cup Qualifying disaster. If France qualified for USA 1994, France would have kept the qualifying team intact. These players probably would have delayed their debut.
-- Marseille won the Champion League/League Double for the 1992-1993 season. In the 1993-1994 season, Marseille was not allowed to enter the Champions' league due their involvement in a match-fixing scandal in the season prior. However, they were allowed to play in the French league but demoted to Division 2 at the end of that season. From Marseille, I took 4 players to the World Cup Finals. They are Fabien Barthez, Jocelyn Angloma, Eric Di Meco and Didiner Deschamps. Except Barthez, the other three players left the club in the summer of 1994.
-- Ten players selected here also went to the 1998 World Cup Finals. Three of the bigger names on this team missed out on the 1998 World Cup. Eric Cantona did not play for France after 1995. He retired from playing football in 1997. Jean Pierre Papin's prime had passed by 1998, David Ginola, however, was only 31 years old at the time of the 1998 World Cup Finals. He won both PFA and FWA Player of the Year in 1999. If France qualified for USA 1994, Ginola might have been selected for the 1998 team.
-- France also did not qualify for the 1990 World Cup Finals. Jean-Pierre Papin was the only player with World Cup experience.
Goalkeepers
-- In 1994, Bernard Lama was named as the French player of the year. His club PSG emerged victorious in the league, with an impressive eight-point lead over Marseille. Additionally, the team boasted the best defense, conceding just 22 goals throughout the season. Bruno Martini played once in 1993 against Russia. He was the obvious backup goalkeeper.
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| Bernard Lama |
Defenders
-- In his debut season with AC Milan, Marcel Desailly played a pivotal role in securing the Champions' League victory for the team, notably scoring a goal in the 1994 Final. Furthermore, he became the first player to win the Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs. This same season marked Laurent Blanc's first season with Saint-Étienne. The two of them were undisputed selections.
-- Basile Boli became the hero of Marseille's Champions' League victory in 1993 by scoring the only goal in the Final. Nevertheless, he faced a challenging year during the 1993-1994 season marred by injuries. Additionally, his club team was greatly impacted by the match-fixing scandal. Subsequently, Boli did not feature in any international matches following the summer of 1993. I decided not to select him for the World Cup Finals due to his injury record. William Prunier joined Marseilles in the summer of 1993. Overall, he had a good first season, but the club was affected by the match-fixing scandal. Bruno Ngotty made his French debut in the summer of 1994. His next cap was three years later. Jean-Luc Dogon played once for France in 1993 against Russia. He was called up for the following match but was injured. He was replaced with Marcel Desailly. I also looked into Jean-Pierre Cyprien who partnered Blanc in Saint-Étienne. Bernard Casoniwa was a declining as a player by that point. I did not take any of them.
-- Instead, I took Alain Roche from PSG while Paul Le Guen or Emmanuel Petit would act an the emergency central defender. Both Paul Le Guen and Alain Roche were key components of the formidable PSG defense during the 1993-1994 season and also represented the national team in the same period. Le Guen was primarily a defensive midfielder. In 1994, Emmanuel Petit also played as a central defender and leftback in AS Monaco.
-- Manuel Amoros concluded his international career following France's elimination in the 1992 European Championship. Although he was called back for a match later that year, he did not play in that game. His international career ended at the age of 31. During the 1992-1993 season, he also found himself displaced by the emergence of Jocelyn Angloma at Marseille. Consequently, he departed to join Olympique Lyon in the summer of 1993. Meanwhile, Amoros played with Jocelyn Angloma on the national team throughout 1992. However, by 1993, Jocelyn Angloma solidified his place on the French team. In absense of a suitable backup rightback, I brought Lilian Thuram to the United States. In the 1993-1994 season, Monaco reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, losing 0-3 to AC Milan. However, I believed that he was playing as a central defeneder in Monaco.
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| Jocelyn Angloma |
-- Bixente Lizarazu also stablished himself a place in Les Bleus by 1993. Eric Di Meco was the other main leftback.
Midfielders
-- Didier Deschamps captained Marseilles as they won the Champions' league in 1993. He was one of the undisputed selections on this team. The early to mid-1990's was a golden age for PSG (before Qatar took over). Vincent Guerin was a key player as well as a regular member of the national team. Paul Le Guen, Marcel Desailly and Emmanuel Petit were also frequently deployed as midfielders for the national team at this period.
-- Christian Karembeu earned his first cap in 1992. He had became a regular member of the players' pool after Kirin Cup held in Japan right before the World Cup Finals. But he belonged to the next cycle of French players. After the disappointing Euro 1992 Finals, Franck Sauzée left Marseilles for Atalanta. He played throughout the World Cup Qualifiers, but had a disappointing season in Atalanata, which showed that he was out of the form by the start of the World Cup Finals. I did not select either of them.
-- Later in their careers, Reynard Pedros would lose out to Zinedine Zidane. For the World Cup Finals in 1994, I chose Pedros over Zidane. Reynald Pedros were a part of the World Cup Qualifiers while Zidane did not played for France until the summer of 1994. Even after Zidane made his debut, he remained a backup. However, Zidane became the last player selected over here. He won the UNFP award for the best young player in the French league that year. I would take him to the United States for the experience.
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| Zinedine Zidane |
-- Mustapha Hadji who who was eligible for France chose to play for Morocco in 1993 before France was eliminated by Bulgaria in the World Cup Qualifiers. He did not know that France won't be going to the 1994 World Cup Finals when he earned his first cap for Morocco. His decision had not nothing to do with France's elimination from the World Cup Finals.
-- Both Corentin Martins and Youri Djorkaeff played for France in 1993. Martins actually played more than Djorkaeff, but Djorkaeff finished as the 2nd top scorer in Ligue 1 that season. So, I took Djorkaeff over Martins.
-- If France qualified for the World Cup Finals, David Ginola would not have committed the mistake that led to the elimination. So in the alternative world, he would not become the scapegoat. Besides, he continued to play for France after the game against Bulgaria. He was Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the 1993-1994 season. Pascal Vahirua who was a regular member of the French national team would be his backup.
-- If France qualified for the World Cup Finals, David Ginola would not have committed the mistake that led to the elimination. So in the alternative world, he would not become the scapegoat. Besides, he continued to play for France after the game against Bulgaria. He was Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the 1993-1994 season. Pascal Vahirua who was a regular member of the French national team would be his backup.
Forwards
-- Jean-Pierre Papin played for AC Milan between 1992 and 1994, but he never established as a starter at the club. He suffered from the three-foreigner rule at the time that made him compete with other foreign players. He played in 1993 the Champions' League Final for AC Milan, but he did not play the following season in the Final against Barcelona. Nonetheless, he was France's best attacking player in 1994.-- Eric Cantona was the PFA Player of the Year in England that season. He scored 25 goals, which was his highest output during his career with Manchester United.
-- Despite missing a significant portion of the 1993-1994 season, Loko managed to score 5 goals in 17 league matches, indicating an improved efficiency in front of goal. In contrast, Christophe Dugarry scored 8 goals in 34 games. In Bordeaux, Christophe Dugarry formed a dyamnaic partnership with Zidine, and he received his first cap in 1994. But he belonged to the next cycle of international players. Nicolas Ouédec tied for first as the top scorer in La Ligue with Youri Djorkaeff. He played one game for France in May 1994. However, Loko was a more famous player in this period. Xavier Gravelaine was also capped in this period. As mentioned, Youri Djorkaeff was the top scorer in the French league. The team needed him for his firepower.
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| Youri Djorkaeff |
Formation
Fabien-Piveteau
ReplyDeleteRoche Blanc Jean-Pierre-Cyprien
Franck-Durix Guerin Desailly Deschamps Ginola
Loko Cantona
In 94 Desailly played in midfield. Papin was past his peak. Loko and Ginola work the flanks.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_Football
https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/franpoy.html