Some of the very best players in history were a part of the 1998 French sqaud: Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Désailly to name a few. After the World Cup, INF Clairefontaine (the French national soccer training centre) became a globally recognised name. Synonymous with excellence, INF Clairefontaine has produced generations of incredible players, such as Nicolas Anelka and Kylian Mbappé. With another World Cup victory in 2018, French youth development once again received the plaudits it deserved.
As well as its achievements, French youth development is also the best in the world in terms of numbers, better even than Brazil and Spain. Indeed, France produces more professional players than any other country in the world every year. With that in mind, in 2021, the FFF decided to export its model and expertise by creating the FFF Academy: French Football Academy.