'He is strong, he feels strong, he is a leader for the defence; we will need him (to stay performing) at that level.'
Franz Beckenbauer who captained the team to World Cup victory in 1974 then won the tournament again as manager in 1990, has died at the age of 78, German news agency DPA reported on Monday.
With France facing political turmoil, Mbappe used the pre-match press conference to address the nation. He called the situation "dire" and urged young people to fight against extremism gaining power.
Israel debutant Yarden Shua scored an 86th-minute winner as they upset more fancied Belgium 1-0 in Budapest on Sunday.
Greece beat England for the first time as striker Vangelis Pavlidis's double earned the visitors a richly-deserved 2-1 victory.
Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has been named France captain to succeed Hugo Lloris.
France are looking to beat the Socceroos just like they did to kick off their 2018 journey in Russia.
Target man Giroud is level with Thierry Henry on 51 goals after scoring twice in their 4-1 win against Australia on Tuesday.
Hugo Lloris, announced his retirement from international football aged 36
Several France players have caught colds, the French Football Federation (FFF) said, as they prepare for the World Cup final against Argentina, with Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate the latest to fall ill on Friday.
France striker Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar after suffering an injury in training.
Several players across the continent are poised to make a name for themselves on the international stage.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Argentine, somehow, were ready for an emotional, nail-biting encounter, having already gone through a dress rehearsal in the same stadium against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
France's probable starting line-up for World Cup final
Benzema enjoyed a stellar campaign with Real Madrid last season, scoring 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions as he inspired them to a La Liga and Champions League double.
The 2024 European Championship will be held in Germany from June 14-July 14. Following are the teams who have qualified for the tournament:
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
France striker Olivier Giroud ended a run of 10 international games without a goal by netting a stunning winner as the world champions claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in their Nations League clash on Sunday.
France kick off their Euro 2016 campaign against Romania on Friday with the host nation desperate for a ray of sunshine after being hit by strikes, floods and scandals in the build-up. Protests against a labour law and torrential rain that has caused the Seine river to rise to levels not seen in decades have created a bleak backdrop to the tournament where France will start as favourites. A state of emergency is also still in force after last November's Islamist attacks killed 130 people in Paris at several sites including the Stade de France, the venue for Friday's opening game.
Zinedine Zidane will not be taking over as coach of the French national team any time soon as Didier Deschamps will remain in that job for the rest of his contract,
"We've once again shown the rest of the world that English football is healthy and we've got some players not only for now but for the future as well."
FIFA World Cup set pulses racing and ended with a young, exciting France team clinching the title.
World champions France won the Nations League final with goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe earning them a 2-1 win over Spain at the San Siro stadium on Sunday.
Mathieu Valbuena and Karim Benzema, embroiled in a sextape scandal, were omitted from France's squad on Thursday for the games with Germany and England later this month while Hatem Ben Arfa was recalled.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah have been nominated as finalists for The Best FIFA Men's Player Award, world soccer's governing body announced on Monday.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi said defending champions France and Brazil are the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar as they have a core group of players who have played together for a long time.
Lionel Messi's second-half goal gave Argentina a 1-0 home win over Ecuador on Thursday to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign off on the right foot.
Manchester City's French midfielder Samir Nasri has decided to quit international football over a breakdown in his relationship with national coach Didier Deschamps and the French media.
Thierry Henry's infamous handball in a qualification playoff game for the 2010 World Cup against Ireland will play no role when the two teams meet on Sunday for a place in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, France coach Didier Deschamps said on Saturday.
France have asked FIFA to investigate their suspicions that a drone was used to spy on the team's preparations for the World Cup opener against Honduras, coach Didier Deschamps said.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Both players have been timed among the fastest in the game, with top speeds of around 36.5kpm (22.6 mph), but it is how quickly they get there that makes them different.
Images from the Nations League football matches played on Thursday.
Brazil inflicted France's first defeat since the World Cup when a perfectly executed second-half performance earned them a 3-1 win in a friendly game at the Stade de France on Thursday.
Rami believes he still has a vital role to play although he is unlikely to line up against Uruguay in Friday's quarter-final in Nizhny Novgorod.
Argentina dominated the opening stages and earned the penalty when Di Maria was fouled by Ousmane Dembele, with Messi sending France keeper Hugo Lloris the wrong way to move to the top of the goalscoring charts in Qatar.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hopes his players return injury-free from the international break this month for a hectic run of fixtures that could define the Premier League champions' season.
'You're going to bring home the victory against this virus. You protect us, you care for us. So to help you, we stay home'
