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France 24
France 24
Sport
Benjamin DODMAN

A history of World Cup flops: Past upsets haunt defending champions France

World Cup France Zinedine Zidane Brazil Thierry Henry Italy Spain Germany Les Bleus Qatar
Danish players celebrate after knocking out title holders France at the 2002 World Cup. © Patrick Hertzog, AFP

Defending champions France enter the World Cup in Qatar hoping to break the curse that has plagued recent title holders – a jinx the French inaugurated in 2002 when their formidable armada of strikers famously failed to score a single goal. 

The 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20, with France bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Plagued by a string of high-profile injuries, “Les Bleus” will also have to contend with the weight of World Cup history.  

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