France Under-21

Nickname(s)	Les Bleuets (The Little Blues) Les Espoirs (The Hopes)
Association	French Football Federation
Head coach	Gérald Baticle
Captain	Castello Lukeba
Most caps	Mickaël Landreau (46)
Top scorer	Odsonne Édouard (17)
First colours Second colours
First international
France 7–1 England  (Le Havre, France; 22 May 1952)
Biggest win
France 9–0 Cyprus  (Grenoble, France; 17 October 2023)
Biggest defeat
England 6–0 France (Sheffield, England; 28 February 1984) Records for competitive matches only.
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances	11 (first in 1982)
Best result	Winners (1988)

The France national under-21 football team (French: Equipe de France Espoirs), known in France as Les Espoirs (French pronunciation: [ɛs.pwaʁ], The Hopes), is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, held every two years.

Following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions in 1976, under-21 football teams in Europe were formed. The team is exclusively for football players that are age 21 or under at the start of the two-year campaign of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, meaning a player can represent the national team until the age of 23.

France has won the Under-21 Championship once, in 1988. Notable players on the team that went on to play for the senior national team include Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, Franck Sauzée, and Jocelyn Angloma, among others.^[1] Blanc was named the tournament's Golden Player.^[2] The team's best finish since was in 2002 when the team finished runners-up to the Czech Republic in Switzerland.

The France under-21 team does not have a permanent home. The team plays in stadiums located all around France, particularly grounds of Ligue 2 clubs. Because of the smaller demand compared to the senior national team, smaller facilities are used. Recently, the under-21 team has established the Stade Auguste-Delaune II, home of Stade Reims, as a home residence having played numerous matches there over the past two seasons.

Though, under-21 teams weren't formed until 1976, Les Espoirs, a youth national team in France, had existed since 1950 playing its first match on 22 May 1952 defeating England 7–1 at the Stade Jules Deschaseaux in Le Havre. The team's next match was two years later suffering a 3–1 defeat to Italy in Vicenza. For the rest of the decade, the youth team played seven more matches, which included a 1–1 draw with Hungary in Budapest and a 2–0 loss to England in Sunderland in 1959. In the 1960s, Espoirs continued to play matches against fellow national youth sides. However, on 18 December 1968, the team contested a match against Algeria senior team in Algiers recording an impressive 5–2 victory. Four days later, the team draw 1–1 with the under-23 team of Algeria in Oran. On 12 February 1969, the Espoirs played the Hungary senior team at the Stade Gerland in Lyon. The match ended in a 2–2 draw.

France's under-21 football friendlies and qualifying matches are broadcast by Direct 8.

Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Fixture

As of 21 August 2024

Position	Name	Nationality
Head coach	Gérald Baticle	French
Assistant coach	Gaël Clichy	French
Goalkeeping coach	Patrick L'Hostis	French
Doctor	Marc Chasselat	French
Physiotherapist	Florian Simon	French

For the 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons, including the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, players born on or after 1 January 2004 are eligible.

The following players were called up for 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Switzerland and Faroe Islands on 14 and 17 November 2025; respectively.^[8]

Note: Names in italics denote players that have been capped by the senior team.

Caps and goals as of 17 November 2025, after the match against Faroe Islands.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Lisandru Olmeta	(2005-07-21) 21 July 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Bastia
16	1GK	Robin Risser	(2004-12-02) 2 December 2004 (age 21)	4	0	Lens
23	1GK	Ewen Jaouen	(2005-12-29) 29 December 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Reims
	1GK	Guillaume Restes	(2005-03-11) 11 March 2005 (age 21)	18	0	Toulouse
2	2DF	Leny Yoro	(2005-11-13) 13 November 2005 (age 20)	9	0	Manchester United
3	2DF	Saël Kumbedi	(2005-03-26) 26 March 2005 (age 20)	6	0	VfL Wolfsburg
4	2DF	Jérémy Jacquet	(2005-07-13) 13 July 2005 (age 20)	5	0	Rennes
13	2DF	Dayann Methalie	(2006-02-18) 18 February 2006 (age 20)	4	2	Toulouse
14	2DF	Jeanuël Belocian	(2005-02-17) 17 February 2005 (age 21)	7	0	Bayer Leverkusen
15	2DF	Nathan Zézé	(2005-06-18) 18 June 2005 (age 20)	6	1	Neom
21	2DF	Jaydee Canvot	(2006-07-29) 29 July 2006 (age 19)	4	0	Crystal Palace
6	3MF	Valentin Atangana	(2005-08-25) 25 August 2005 (age 20)	6	1	Al-Ahli
8	3MF	Lesley Ugochukwu	(2004-03-26) 26 March 2004 (age 21)	10	0	Burnley
18	3MF	Djaoui Cissé	(2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 22)	8	4	Rennes
20	3MF	Ayyoub Bouaddi	(2007-10-02) 2 October 2007 (age 18)	8	1	Lille
	3MF	Louis Leroux	(2006-01-23) 23 January 2006 (age 20)	3	1	Nantes
	3MF	Kévin Danois	(2004-06-28) 28 June 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Auxerre
7	4FW	Mathys Tel	(2005-04-27) 27 April 2005 (age 20)	20	12	Tottenham Hotspur
9	4FW	Lucas Michal	(2005-06-22) 22 June 2005 (age 20)	1	0	Monaco[a]
10	4FW	Wilson Odobert	(2004-11-28) 28 November 2004 (age 21)	16	5	Tottenham Hotspur
11	4FW	Senny Mayulu	(2006-05-17) 17 May 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Paris Saint-Germain
17	4FW	Saïmon Bouabré	(2006-06-01) 1 June 2006 (age 19)	3	0	Neom
19	4FW	Mohamed Kader Meïté	(2007-10-11) 11 October 2007 (age 18)	3	0	Rennes
22	4FW	Eli Junior Kroupi	(2006-06-23) 23 June 2006 (age 19)	5	3	Bournemouth
	4FW	Jean-Mattéo Bahoya	(2005-05-07) 7 May 2005 (age 20)	5	1	Eintracht Frankfurt
	4FW	Herba Guirassy	(2006-08-29) 29 August 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Nantes

The following players have also been called up to the France under-21 squad and remain eligible:

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Thérence Koudou	(2004-12-13) 13 December 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Mechelen	v.  Estonia, 13 October 2025
DF	Christian Mawissa	(2005-04-08) 8 April 2005 (age 20)	4	0	Monaco[a]	v.  Serbia, 8 September 2025
DF	Nhoa Sangui	(2006-08-29) 29 August 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Paris FC	v.  Serbia, 8 September 2025
DF	Kassoum Ouattara	(2004-10-14) 14 October 2004 (age 21)	3	0	Monaco[a]	v.  Italy, 15 November 2024
DF	Yoan Koré	(2004-11-16) 16 November 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Betis Deportivo	v.  Spain, 28 March 2023
MF	Warren Zaïre-Emery	(2006-03-08) 8 March 2006 (age 20)	4	0	Paris Saint-Germain	v.  Estonia, 13 October 2025
MF	Mathys Detourbet	(2007-04-29) 29 April 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Troyes	2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship PRE
FW	Noah Edjouma	(2005-10-04) 4 October 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Toulouse	v.  Estonia, 13 October 2025
FW	Tidiam Gomis	(2006-08-08) 8 August 2006 (age 19)	0	0	RB Leipzig	2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship PRE
FW	Désiré Doué	(2005-06-03) 3 June 2005 (age 20)	4	1	Paris Saint-Germain	v.  Italy, 15 November 2024
FW	Mohamed-Ali Cho	(2004-01-19) 19 January 2004 (age 22)	8	0	Nice	v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 10 September 2024

Notes

• Players in bold have played at senior level.
• ^CLU Player withdrew from the squad because of a club necessity.
• ^INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
• ^PRE Preliminary squad
• ^SEN Player withdrew from the squad due to a call up to the senior team.
• ^WD Player withdrew from the squad due to personal reasons.

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship

Champions (1): 1988

Runners-up (1): 2002

Third place (1): 1996

• Toulon Tournament

Champions (12): 1977, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2015

Finalists (14): 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016

• 1972: Did not qualify. Finished 4th of 4 in qualification group.
• 1974: Did not qualify. Finished 3rd of 3 in qualification group.
• 1976: Losing quarter-finalists.

Year	Result	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1978	Did not qualify	4	0	1	3	4	6
1980		4	2	1	1	3	2
1982	Quarter-finals	6	3	1	2	9	8
1984		6	3	1	2	11	9
1986		8	2	3	3	13	13
1988	Champions	12	6	5	1	21	13
1990	Did not qualify	6	3	2	1	11	7
1992		8	3	2	3	7	5
1994	Fourth place	14	10	2	2	24	8
1996	Third place	14	8	4	2	30	5
1998	Did not qualify	8	4	3	1	13	8
2000		8	6	2	2	19	6
2002	Runners-up	15	12	3	0	27	7
2004	Did not qualify	10	8	1	1	20	7
2006	Semi-finals	14	10	2	2	24	10
2007	Did not qualify	4	2	1	1	6	3
2009		10	5	3	2	17	7
2011		8	4	3	1	12	6
2013		10	8	0	2	23	7
2015		10	8	1	1	31	11
2017		10	6	2	2	17	8
2019	Semi-finals	14	11	2	1	28	11
2021	Quarter-finals	14	11	0	3	37	13
2023		14	11	2	1	39	10
2025	Semi-finals	13	8	2	3	32	14
Total	1 title	236	145	48	43	446	194

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

• Sport in France
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• Official site
• UEFA.com U-21 site
• U-21 Championships archives