When France were crowned World Cup winners for the first time in 1998, their squad consisted of an amalgamation of several different backgrounds and cultures. The image of Zinedine Zidane, scorer of a double in the 3-0 final victory over Brazil, lit up the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris on that July evening. The scene seemed set for Aime Jacquet's glorious side to become a symbol of ‘black-blanc-beur’ France; a country united, despite an ethnic mix greater than any other European nation.
