Outright Odds: 12/1
Group G Winners: 1/2

France were required to call on the cavalry to ensure qualification to the finals. Stuck in fourth place in their group, retired veterans Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram returned to the side in an attempt to turn around the fortunes of the failing side.

A precious 1-0 win in the Republic of Ireland, a 1-1 draw in Switzerland and a 4-0 hammering of Cyprus secured France top spot in a group in which they remained unbeaten. Two draws against Israel and Switzerland and one against Ireland added to their five wins and saw them avoid a potential banana skin in the play-offs.

This is the first time France have qualified for the World Cup in 20 years, as they entered the 1998 tournament as hosts and 2002 as Champions. They failed to reach the finals in 1990 and 1994 and will be desperate to avoid the humiliation they suffered four years ago in which they finished bottom of their group without a goal to their name.

France are an ageing side with Thuram and Zidane at 34 in the finals while Makelele, and goalkeeper Gregory Coupet will be 33 and midfielder Sylvain Wiltord 32. The main problem manager Raymond Domenech has endured is the younger generation of players just don