French Football Federation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
French Football Federation

UEFA
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Short name	FFF, 3F
Founded	7 April 1919; 106 years ago (1919-04-07)
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FIFA affiliation	1919
UEFA affiliation	1954
President	Philippe Diallo

The French Football Federation (often called FFF or 3F) is the main organization for football in France. It was started in 1919 and is based in Paris, the capital city. The FFF was one of the first members of FIFA, the world football body. It is in charge of all football in France, for both professional and amateur players. The FFF also helped create UEFA, which is the European football organization.

History of French Football

Before the FFF

Before the FFF began, another group called the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA) managed football and other sports in France. This group started in 1890 in Paris. Soon, sports clubs from all over France joined them.

In 1894, the USFSA held the first official French football championship. Only four teams from Paris played in this first competition. It was a knockout tournament, meaning teams were eliminated after one loss.

The USFSA also sent French players to the 1900 Olympic Games. On May 1, 1904, they picked the first official France national football team. The USFSA later closed down in 1919 because of disagreements with FIFA.

How the FFF Started

The Fédération Française de Football (FFF) was formed on April 7, 1919. It grew out of an older group called the Comité Français Interfédéral (CFI). The CFI and the USFSA often disagreed, especially about whether sports should be professional. The USFSA was against professional players.

After some confusion at the 1908 Summer Olympics, where France sent two football teams, the CFI decided that FIFA would be in charge of French teams at the Olympics. The USFSA, which was a founding member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), did not agree. This led to France not sending a football team to the 1912 Summer Olympics. The USFSA then had problems with FIFA and the IOC, causing a lot of disorganization. In 1913, the USFSA started working closely with the CFI.

When the CFI became the FFF in 1919, Jules Rimet became its first president. The FFF has been connected to FIFA since 1907. Two years after the FFF was formed, the USFSA officially joined with the FFF.

Over the years, the FFF has had many leaders. For example, Jean-Pierre Escalettes resigned in 2010. Then, Fernand Duchaussoy became the interim president. Later, Nöel Le Graët was chosen as the 12th president in 2011.

What the FFF Does

The French Football Federation has four main jobs:

• To organize, grow, and watch over all types of football in France, both on the mainland and in overseas areas.
• To connect its members, clubs, and local leagues.
• To protect the interests of French football, both in terms of fairness and money.
• To work with other football groups around the world that are part of FIFA, as well as with their sports groups and governments.

The FFF approves all official football matches in France. It directly manages leagues like the Championnat National. It also works with the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which manages the top two divisions, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, and the Coupe de la Ligue. The LFP still works under the FFF's authority.

The FFF also chooses the coaches and staff for the men's, women's, and youth national teams. In 2010, the FFF had over 2 million registered players and 18,000 clubs. In 2007, the federation showed off its new logo.

The FFF runs many football competitions. The most famous is the yearly Coupe de France, a national cup tournament. The FFF also organizes championships for semi-professional and amateur leagues. These include the Championnat National, the Championnat de France amateur, and regional leagues.

The federation also manages youth leagues. These include the Championnat National for players under 19 and under 17. The FFF also organizes the Coupe Gambardella and the Coupe Nationale for club teams of players under 15 and under 13. For women's football, the FFF runs all three divisions and the Challenge de France cup.

Regional Football Groups

The FFF is split into 20 regional groups. These groups match the 18 regions of France, plus two overseas areas. Two other overseas places, French Polynesia and New Caledonia, have their own FIFA memberships. They are not part of the FFF's regional system. Wallis and Futuna is the only French territory without organized football.

These regional groups are in charge of organizing all football competitions below the top five levels in France. The number of regional groups was reduced after France changed its regions in 2016.

Mainland France

Region	Association
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes	Ligue Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de football
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté	Ligue de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté de football
Brittany	Ligue de Bretagne de football
Centre-Val de Loire	Ligue du Centre-Val de Loire de football
Corsica	Ligue Corse de football
Grand Est	Ligue du Grand Est de football
Hauts-de-France	Ligue de Football des Hauts-de-France
Île-de-France	Ligue de Paris Île-de-France de football
Normandy	Ligue de football de Normandie
Nouvelle-Aquitaine	Ligue de football Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Occitanie	Ligue de football d'Occitanie
Pays de la Loire	Ligue de football des Pays de la Loire
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur	Ligue de la Méditerranée de football

Overseas France

Region/Collectivity	Association
French Guiana	Ligue de football de la Guyane
Guadeloupe and  Saint Barthélemy	Ligue guadeloupéenne de football
Martinique	Ligue de football de la Martinique
Mayotte	Ligue mahoraise de football
Reunion	Ligue réunionnaise de football
Saint Martin	Ligue de football de Saint-Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Ligue de football de Saint Pierre et Miquelon

Executive Committee

The FFF is led by an Executive Committee. This group includes the President, Vice-President, General Secretary, and other members who help manage French football. The current president is Philippe Diallo.

Football Academies

The French Football Federation runs 14 special academies across France. These academies help train young football players. The most famous one is INF Clairefontaine. It was started in 1976 by former FFF president Fernand Sastre. Located near Paris, INF Clairefontaine is known for training many talented French players. These include Nicolas Anelka, Louis Saha, William Gallas, and Thierry Henry.

How to Join an Academy

Players chosen for an academy must be at least 13 years old. They must also be French citizens and live in the region of the academy they want to join. Sign-ups usually start in October for players who are 12 years old.

First, local districts hold tryouts. They select a certain number of players to go to the regional academy. These tryouts usually last three days. The dates change for each academy. For example, Clairefontaine often holds its tryouts during the Easter school holidays. After the tryouts, the academy leaders choose up to 22 players, including three or four goalkeepers.

Training and Living at the Academy

Players who are chosen live and train at the academy from Monday to Friday. On weekends, they go home to visit family and play with their local clubs. They also get school holidays off.

Players must also do well in school. For example, players aged 13–15 at Clairefontaine go to a local middle school. After that, they attend a nearby high school, hoping to earn their high school diploma. The FFF and the National Football League pay for all the costs of attending an academy.

Achievements

The French national football teams have won many important titles!

Men's National Team

• FIFA World Cup
  • Winners (2): 1998, 2018
  • Runners-up (2): 2006, 2022
• UEFA European Championship
  • Winners (2): 1984, 2000
• UEFA Nations League
  • Winners (1): 2020–21
• Olympic Games
  • Gold Medal (1): 1984
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Winners (2): 2001, 2003

Women's National Team

• FIFA Women's World Cup
  • Fourth place (1): 2011
• UEFA Women's Championship
  • Semi-Final (1): 2022
• Olympic Games
  • Fourth place (1): 2012

Youth National Teams

Men's Youth Teams

• FIFA U-20 World Cup
  • Winners (1): 2013
• FIFA U-17 World Cup
  • Winners (1): 2001
• UEFA U-21 Championship
  • Winners (1): 1988
• UEFA U-19/18 Championship
  • Winners (8): 1949, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2016

Sponsors

See also

In Spanish: Federación Francesa de Fútbol para niños

• Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques, the group before the FFF
• Gymnastic and Sports Federation of French Patronages