World Cup Football

France

France were one of the 13 teams in the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
France's captain in the first World Cup match, Alex Villaplane, was killed fifteen years later for alleged collaboration with the Nazis. Villaplane was shot dead by French resistance fighters in July 1945.
The first player to be replaced in World Cup finals due to injury was French goalkeeper Alex Thepot. The goalkeeper was kicked by a Mexican player in the jaw in the opening match of the 1930 World Cup. He was replaced by midfielder Augustin Chantrel.
Zinedine Zidane became the first French player to be sent off in World Cup finals in the First Round match against Saudi Arabia on 18 June 1998. France had kept a clean sheet for 68 years until France 98!

A rooster, the symbol of the French team, was thrown onto the field by a fan during the match between France and Canada on 1 June, 1986. The rooster was dead when the referee removed it out of the pitch. France won the match 1-0.
France played off against Italy in the 2006 final, with man of the tournament, Zinedine Zidane, being red carded for a bizarre incident where he head butted the opposition player.