Sport
France's national sport and most watched sport is soccer and they are very, very good at it. They are ranked 9th in the world and have qualified for the 2010 Fifa world cup in South Africa. There first game is against Uruguay very soon. The second most popular sport is tennis with 1,054,543 licensed people in France. France also has many various motor-sports but none are very famous internationally. A very popular sport which is played a lot in France but hardly at all in Australia is handball. Frances notional handball team is one of the most watched and supported french teams along with football and rugby union. The is a bit like soccer. Cycling is a very important sport in France internationally because they hold an annual cycling event called the tour de france which takes place each July and last for three weeks. other sports include basketball, volleyball, rugby union, rugby league, sailing, table football (france is national champions for table football) and other traditional french sports
Soccer
France has been involved with soccer for a long time. There first international soccer team was formed in 1904 which is roughly when the Fifa world cup was formed. Frances first international game was played against Germany in 1904, the score was 3 all. There biggest win was against Azerbaijan who they beat 10 - 0 in the year 1995. Frances biggest defeat was 4 years after there first international game was against Denmark 17-1. France's first appearances in the world cup was in 1930 while there best result in the world cup was in 1998 where the won!
France's international soccer team
Handball
Since handball is not played in Australia, the rules have been explained so it is easer to understand the concept This game is a bit like soccer, each team has seven people on each side including the goal keeper and each team must try and get the ball into the opponents net by throwing it to players into they are close enough to get a shot at goal which is guarded by a goal keeper whose job is to try and prevent the opposition getting the ball in the goal (you are allowed to run with the ball for three steps before you must dribble the ball). After you have the ball passed to you or stopped running you have 3 seconds to ether pass, dribble or take a shot for goal. if you want to get a ball of the opposition you must be directly in front of them before trying to get the ball off them. Goal keepers are the only players allowed within the goal line which is a six meter premeter around the goal.
A handball player about to try and through the ball into the goal