Ranking the 5 greatest French footballers of the 21st century
The French national team is one of the most dynamic, youthful and exciting sides in world football presently. With Didier Deschamps as manager, the French national team recently finished runners-up at the UEFA Euro 2016 and won the FIFA World Cup in 2018.
Former greats such as Deschamps, Laurent Blanc, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, helped oversee the French domination of football between 1997-2002.
The French national team won the World Cup in 1998, followed by their extra-time win at Euro 2000. David Trezeguet scored the 'golden goal' to hand the cup to the French making them the first side to win the Euros as world champions.
🏆 🇫🇷 France became the first world champions to win EURO courtesy of David Trezeguet's dramatic golden goal winner #OTD in 2000!
#EURO2020 https://t.co/7MF0Pv2Uiw
With several young players already playing at top clubs across Europe, France has one of the most jaw-dropping talent pools. They have had great players to pick from for the past many decades.
On that note, let's take a look at the greatest French players of the 21st century.
#5. Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris was born in Nice, France, in 1986. He began his youth career at his local club and broke into Nice's first team in 2005. Lloris played at the French club for three seasons before moving to Lyon in 2008. He was then signed by Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 for €10 million plus an additional €5 miilion in bonuses and has been with the north Londoners since.
The French custodian has made 670 career club appearances, conceding 725 goals and keeping 228 clean sheets. Known for his leadership, acrobatic stops, positioning and passionate style of play, Lloris has been a pillar of Spurs' rise in the past few years. He has been their captain since the 2015-16 season.
Here is a montage of some of the Frenchman's best saves:
These saves from Lloris = 🔥🔥🔥
#UCL | @SpursOfficial https://t.co/WCvGZBbhg9
Lloris has made 136 appearances for Les Bleus, keeping 62 clean sheets in the process. He is currently second on France's list of highest-capped players, seven games away from breaking Lilian Thuram's record of 142.
The custodian has been the captain of the French team since 2012. He won the 2018 FIFA World cup and the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League with his country.
🎂 Happy Birthday to the man that captained his country to World Cup victory in 2018 💪🇫🇷🏆
Hugo Lloris' contribution to his team's success has been marked by his signed armband from the tournament, which has been added to our collection.
Have a great day, Hugo! https://t.co/OHMkk6suGq
Lloris will look to end his trophy drought with Spurs this season with new boss Antonio Conte actively making an impact. He will also have one eye on next year's World Cup in Qatar in what could be his last major tournament with the French team.
#4. N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante was born in Paris, France, in 1991. He began his youth career with Boulogne and made his senior debut for the club in 2012.
Kante rose to prominence during his first and only season with Leicester City in 2015-16, winning the Premier League in remarkable fashion.
The Frenchman has made 392 career appearances, scoring 23 and setting up a further 23. Kante is known for his ability to cover unbelievable amounts of ground during games. He also has impeccable defensive positioning and the ability to break-up play.
The Frenchman won the Premier League with Chelsea in the 2016-17 season. For his performances, Kante was named Premier League Player of the Season for 2016-17.
N'Golo Kante was named the Player of the Season after his role in Chelsea's 2016/17 title triumph, which came the year after he played a starring role in Leicester City becoming champions in 2015/16, in his debut season in English football. #Football https://t.co/WMT8wdMzM7
The Frenchman has made 51 appearances for his country, scoring twice and providing one assist. He was part of the team that finished runners-up to Portugal at 2016 UEFA Euro and that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
At club level, he has won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Europa League.
Kante is currently with Chelsea and will play a crucial role in their fight for the Premier League title, as well as their defense of the Champions League.