There are many stereotypes about Brazilians that I don't fit into: I can't dance samba, I'm not from Rio de Janeiro, and caipirinhas are not my drink of choice. But there is one stereotype I fit perfectly: Brazilians are obsessed with soccer. And I am no exception.
I love it when it is World Cup time. It's the one moment where I can talk about nothing else and nobody minds. Getting together with friends to watch the matches is its own kind of magic. One of my earliest memories is the 1994 World Cup final, when Brazil won the title after a long drought. I was very young, but I remember the feeling in the air. Sports have a way of doing that — leaving an imprint before you even understand why.
This year, eleven Francophone countries are competing in the World Cup: Canada, Haiti, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, I'll highlight five of these teams, so you have someone to root for when the tournament kicks off.
They won again in 2018, lost a heartbreaker to Argentina on penalties in 2022, and are currently ranked third in the world going into this tournament. At this point, all eyes are on them!
What makes France so fascinating — and so fitting for a Francophonie blog — is who they are off the pitch as much as on it. The squad is a living portrait of the French-speaking world, with players whose roots span West Africa, North Africa, and the Caribbean. Kylian Mbappé, their biggest star, is the son of a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother. That story repeats itself across the roster.
If you want to relive that first 1998 title — or just want to feel what that moment meant — La Coupe de la Gloire is worth watching before the competition starts.
For a sense of what it feels like to watch this team, Jean-Philippe Toussaint's book Football captures it beautifully. Describing the moment Belgium scored in a match, he writes: " The whistle was blown, and when, like an unexpected deliverance, Belgium opened the scoring with a spectacular acrobatic scissor-kick by Wilmots, I leapt from my seat, arms in the air, turning in a circle and giddily jumping around in the stands, not knowing where to go, who to celebrate the event with, before spotting another Belgian as isolated as I was among the terraces. We gauchely hurried towards each other, not knowing how to concelebrate our goal, merely striking our palms violently together."
Every football fan has had that moment: a stranger becomes your best friend in the space of a single goal. That's the game.
If you want to know more about Haiti's soccer culture before the tournament, check out Death of the Soccer God, a novel by Haitian-American writer Dimitry Elias Léger, published this year, right in time for the World Cup. It follows Gilbert Chevalier, a Haitian immigrant who goes from the jazz-soaked streets of Harlem to playing for the U.S. National Team in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, only to end up facing a firing squad in Haiti years later, reflecting on his whole extraordinary life. It's a passionate, improbable love story and a Pan-American tale about the price of fame, inspired by a true story and written with the breathless pace of the sport itself.
To get in the spirit, listen to the GOAL Legacy podcast episode on Morocco. The series explores World Cup lore and national identity, with episodes dedicated to the nations that define the game, written by in-region journalists and narrated by legendary football voice Martin Tyler. The Morocco episode traces the full arc of the Atlas Lions — from being the first African team to advance from the group stage in 1986, all the way to their historic 2022 semi-final run, and what's at stake in 2026.
For more on the team’s story, the GOAL Legacy podcast episode on Senegal is a great source. It follows the Lions de la Téranga across two decades of triumph, turbulence, and transformation — from the thunderbolt of 2002 to the cruel fair-play exit of 2018, to the continental rise that brought them back stronger in Qatar. It's the kind of storytelling that makes you feel the weight of every match, every yellow card, every heartbreak and comeback.
If reading this makes you want to learn more, we have something for you: This summer, we are offering a football-themed French conversation class, Le football, un sport mondial, where you can talk about all of this in French, with other people who are just as excited about the game. Whether you're a soccer fanatic or just World Cup-curious, come join us. The more the merrier — and in the spirit of teraanga, everyone is welcome.
I love it when it is World Cup time. It's the one moment where I can talk about nothing else and nobody minds. Getting together with friends to watch the matches is its own kind of magic. One of my earliest memories is the 1994 World Cup final, when Brazil won the title after a long drought. I was very young, but I remember the feeling in the air. Sports have a way of doing that — leaving an imprint before you even understand why.
This year, eleven Francophone countries are competing in the World Cup: Canada, Haiti, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, I'll highlight five of these teams, so you have someone to root for when the tournament kicks off.
France
I love talking about France, but when it comes to soccer it still stings a little. As a Brazilian, I have a very specific memory of 1998: watching Brazil lose the final to France, who claimed their very first World Cup title that day. It was a painful introduction to Les Bleus.They won again in 2018, lost a heartbreaker to Argentina on penalties in 2022, and are currently ranked third in the world going into this tournament. At this point, all eyes are on them!
What makes France so fascinating — and so fitting for a Francophonie blog — is who they are off the pitch as much as on it. The squad is a living portrait of the French-speaking world, with players whose roots span West Africa, North Africa, and the Caribbean. Kylian Mbappé, their biggest star, is the son of a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother. That story repeats itself across the roster.
If you want to relive that first 1998 title — or just want to feel what that moment meant — La Coupe de la Gloire is worth watching before the competition starts.
Belgium
Belgium is one of those teams that football fans around the world have a soft spot for. Known as Les Diables Rouges — The Red Devils — they have built a reputation as one of the most talented national teams in history. The nickname dates back to 1905, when the Dutch press reportedly described some Belgian players as "working like devils" on the pitch, a nod to both their red shirts and their energetic style of play. Over a century later, the name still fits.For a sense of what it feels like to watch this team, Jean-Philippe Toussaint's book Football captures it beautifully. Describing the moment Belgium scored in a match, he writes: " The whistle was blown, and when, like an unexpected deliverance, Belgium opened the scoring with a spectacular acrobatic scissor-kick by Wilmots, I leapt from my seat, arms in the air, turning in a circle and giddily jumping around in the stands, not knowing where to go, who to celebrate the event with, before spotting another Belgian as isolated as I was among the terraces. We gauchely hurried towards each other, not knowing how to concelebrate our goal, merely striking our palms violently together."
Every football fan has had that moment: a stranger becomes your best friend in the space of a single goal. That's the game.
Haiti
With nicknames like Les Grenadiers, Le Rouge et Bleu, and Les Bicolores, Haiti is making their second appearance at a World Cup — and just being there is already a win: they are the first and only Caribbean country to qualify twice. They have never won a title, but that's beside the point. Watching them play will be a lesson in resilience.If you want to know more about Haiti's soccer culture before the tournament, check out Death of the Soccer God, a novel by Haitian-American writer Dimitry Elias Léger, published this year, right in time for the World Cup. It follows Gilbert Chevalier, a Haitian immigrant who goes from the jazz-soaked streets of Harlem to playing for the U.S. National Team in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, only to end up facing a firing squad in Haiti years later, reflecting on his whole extraordinary life. It's a passionate, improbable love story and a Pan-American tale about the price of fame, inspired by a true story and written with the breathless pace of the sport itself.
Morocco
Morocco has played in 7 World Cups, but nothing compares to 2022. They became the first African and Arab nation to reach a semi-final, defeating Spain and Portugal along the way. After Brazil was eliminated, they became my number one to root for.To get in the spirit, listen to the GOAL Legacy podcast episode on Morocco. The series explores World Cup lore and national identity, with episodes dedicated to the nations that define the game, written by in-region journalists and narrated by legendary football voice Martin Tyler. The Morocco episode traces the full arc of the Atlas Lions — from being the first African team to advance from the group stage in 1986, all the way to their historic 2022 semi-final run, and what's at stake in 2026.
Senegal
In their very first World Cup appearance in 2002, Senegal defeated reigning champions France in the opening game, becoming one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.For more on the team’s story, the GOAL Legacy podcast episode on Senegal is a great source. It follows the Lions de la Téranga across two decades of triumph, turbulence, and transformation — from the thunderbolt of 2002 to the cruel fair-play exit of 2018, to the continental rise that brought them back stronger in Qatar. It's the kind of storytelling that makes you feel the weight of every match, every yellow card, every heartbreak and comeback.
If reading this makes you want to learn more, we have something for you: This summer, we are offering a football-themed French conversation class, Le football, un sport mondial, where you can talk about all of this in French, with other people who are just as excited about the game. Whether you're a soccer fanatic or just World Cup-curious, come join us. The more the merrier — and in the spirit of teraanga, everyone is welcome.
BONUS: A Song for the Occasion
If you want to get in the mood before the first whistle, I have one more recommendation: Zinedine Zidane, a song by Melbourne funk band Vaudeville Smash, released in 2014 as an unofficial anthem for the World Cup. It's a tribute to the legendary French player and it rattles off the names of famous players from around the world at a breathless pace. It's become a personal tradition for me: every time I listen to it, I try to catch all the names I recognize. The more you know about football, the more fun it gets!
Bruna Franco
Marketing & Membership Manager
Bruna first joined the Center as a member, looking for an opportunity to practice French and to be around French culture. She is now thrilled to be the Membership Manager and to provide members with the amazing experience she was previously able to enjoy herself. She is a native Portuguese speaker who, by the age of eight, knew she wanted to be multilingual someday. Working at the French Library now seems like a dream come true.
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