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France and the Football World Cup

Announced as far back as 1983, the French candidature for the organisation of the 1998 World Cup was officially confirmed by the French Football Federation (FFF) in 1987 and backed up by the highest authorities of the state.

Historical datas

The host cities of the World Cup

Ten cities will be hosting the 16th Football World Cup. These ten cities were jointly chosen by the Government and the French Organising Committee, in agreement with FIFA.

10 Cities for the 64 matches

Bordeaux
 Lens
 Lyon
 Marseille
 Montpellier
 Nantes
 Paris
 Saint-Denis
 Saint-Etienne
 Toulouse

BORDEAUX

THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 214,OOO
Urban area: 697,000
Mayor: Alain Juppé

THE CLUB
Girondins de Bordeaux
4 French League titles
3 times French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(Lescure)
Present state:
46,990 places, including 21,300 seats.
2 km from the city centre, 4km from the railway station.
After alterations:
capacity will be 36,500 seats, including 15,000 under cover.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Lens 760 km
Lyon 538 km
Marseille 648 km
Montpellier 486 km
Nantes 323 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 579 km
St. Etienne 507 km
Toulouse 245 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
with Lens*, Lyon*, Paris and Toulouse
(* involves changing)

AIR LINKS:
with Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Paris and Toulouse.

LENS
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 35,280
Urban area: 376,700
Mayor: André Delelis

THE CLUB
Racing Club de Lens
I French League title

THE STADIUM
(Félix Bollaert)
Present state:
49,581 places, including 32,000 standing. The stadium is 10 minutes from the city centre and the TGV station.
After alterations:
capacity will be 42,000 seats

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 760 km
Lyon 644 km
Marseille 954 km
Montpellier 941km
Nantes 566 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 199 km
St. Etienne 702 km
Toulouse 880 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
with Bordeaux*, Lyon*, Marseille*, Montpellier* Nantes*, Paris, St. Etienne* and Toulouse*.
(* involves changing)

AIR LINKS: (from Lille):
with Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Toulouse.

LYON
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 422,400
Urban area: 1,262,000
Mayor: Raymond Barre

THE CLUB
Olympique Lyonnais
3 times French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(Gerland)
Present state:
44,000 places. Gerland, classed as an historic monument, has easy access from the city centre.
After alterations:
capacity will be 44,000 seats, with two sides under cover.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 538 km
Lens 644 km
Marseille 313 km
Montpellier 300 km
Nantes 613 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 462 km
St. Etienne 60 km
Toulouse 537 km

TGV rail links:
with Bordeaux*, Lens*, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes*, Paris, St. Etienne and Toulouse
(*involves changing)

AIR LINKS:
with Bordeaux, Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Paris and Toulouse

MARSEILLE
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 807,000
Urban area: 1,000,000
Mayor: Jean-Claude Gaudin

THE CLUB
Olympique de Marseille
Winner of European Champions League
8 French League titles
10 times French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(Stade Municipal)
Present state:
46,000 places. It is located right in the city centre and has easy access.
After alterations:
Capacity will be 60,000 seats. The stand lay-out will be improved.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 648 km
Lens 954 km
Lyon 313 km
Montpellier 166 km
Nantes 972 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 773 km
St. Etienne 330 km
Toulouse 404 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
with Bordeaux*, Lens*, Lyon, Montpellier*, Nantes*, Paris and St. Etienne*.
(*involves changing)

AIR LINKS:
with Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Nantes and Paris.

MONTPELLIER
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 210,000
Urban area:350,000
Mayor: Georges Frêche

THE CLUB
Montpellier-Hérault S.C.
French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(La Mosson)
Present state:
23,500 places with a fourth stand planned. La Mosson Stadium is 6 km from the city centre.
After alterations:
capacity will be 35,000 seats after the south stand has been built.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 486 km
Lens 941 km
Lyon 300 km
Marseille 166 km
Nantes 809 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 760 km
St. Etienne 317 km
Toulouse 241 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
with Bordeaux*, Lens*, Lyon, Marseille*, Paris and St. Etienne*
(*involves changing)

AIR LINKS:
with Lille, Nantes and Paris

NANTES
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 244,500
Urban area: 499,200
Mayor: Jean-Marc Ayrault

THE CLUB
F.C. Nantes-Atlantique
7 French League titles
French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(La Beaujoire)
Present state:
up to 52,000 places with standing room authorised in certain stands. La Beaujoire is 7 km from the centre.
After alterations:
capacity will be 40,000 seats.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 323 km
Lens 566 km
Lyon 613 km
Marseille 972 km
Montpellier 809 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 384 km
St. Etienne 608 km
Toulouse 567 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
with Lens*, Lyon*, Marseille*, Paris, St. Etienne* and Toulouse.
(*involves changing)

AIR LINKS:
with Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Paris.

PARIS
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 2,200,000
Urban area: 9,000,000
Mayor: Jean Tibéri

THE CLUB
Paris-Saint-Germain F.C.
2 French League titles
4 times French Cup winners
Winner of Cup winners Cup

THE STADIUM
(Parc des Princes)
Present state:
up to 48,725 places, all seated. The Parc des Princes, located to the south-west of Paris, is easily accessible.
After alterations:
the stands will be divided into sections.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 579 km
Lens 199 km
Lyon 462 km
Marseille 773 km
Montpellier 760 km
Nantes 384 km
Saint-Denis 4 km
St. Etienne 520 km
Toulouse 698 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
direct links with all the other host cities.

AIR LINKS:
with Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes.

SAINT-DENIS
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 95,000
Urban area: see Paris
Mayor: Patrick Braouezec

THE STADIUM
(Stade de France)
Present state:
The Stade de France, currently being built, will contain four elliptical bands of tiered stands with a variable capacity:
80,000 seats for football and rugby, 75,000 for athletics, and between 20,000 and 103,000 for staged shows.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 579 km
Lens 199 km
Lyon 462 km
Marseille 773 km
Montpellier 760 km
Nantes 384 km
St. Etienne 520 km
Paris 4 km
Toulouse 698 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
the same as for Paris.

AIR LINKS:
the same as for Paris.

SAINT-ETIENNE
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 200,000
Urban area: 450,000
Mayor: Jean-Michel Thiollière

THE CLUB
A.S. Saint Etienne
10 French League titles
6 times French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(Geoffroy-Guichard)
Present state:
42,000 places, including 19,000 standing. The stadium is close to the city centre and easily accessible, with a vast parking area.
After alterations:
capacity will be 36,000 seats.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 507 km
Lens 702 km
Lyon 60 km
Marseille 330 km
Montpellier 317 km
Nantes 608 km
Paris and Saint-Denis 520 km
Toulouse 439 km

TGV RAIL LINKS:
with Lens*, Lyon, Marseille*, Montpellier*, Nantes*, Paris and Toulouse*.
(* involves changing)
AIR LINKS:
with Paris.`

TOULOUSE
 THE CITY
Population:
Inner city: 365,000
Urban area: 600,000
Mayor: Dominique Baudis

THE CLUB
Toulouse F.C.
French Cup winners

THE STADIUM
(Stadium Municipal)
Present state:
35,000. The stadium is located on a island between two branches of the river Garonne, and is close to the city centre.
After alterations:
capacity will be 37,000 seats after the new tiered stands have been built.

DISTANCE FROM OTHER CITIES:
Bordeaux 245 km
Lens 880 km
Lyon 537 km
Marseille 404 km
Montpellier 241 km
Nantes 567km
Paris and Saint-Denis 698 km
St. Etienne 439 km

TGV RAIL LINKS: with Bordeaux*, Lens*, Lyon*, Nantes*, Paris and St. Etienne*. (*involves changing)

AIR LINKS:
with Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon and Paris.

Tableau recapitulatif des distances entre les villes (en kilomètres)

The Countdown

From now until 10 June 1998, the date of the opening match of the 16th Football World Cup, the activity of the French Organising Committee will be marked by major events full of "Emotion, Universality and Sharing".

1995

1996

1997

1998

The Competition

The FIFA rules require that the World Cup takes place in two phases:

THE PRELIMINARY COMPETITION

Its aim is to qualify in the six confederations of FIFA the 30 countries which will take part in the final competition alongside France (host country) and Brazil (winner of 1994 World Cup).

172 countries take part in this preliminary competition. These national teams belong to six confederations which will themselves decide on their qualification system with the agreement of FIFA.

The draw for the preliminary competition was held in Paris on 12 December 1995 (see table in appendix). The objective was to divide up the countries within each confederation into groups or sub-groups.

THE FINAL COMPETITION

This will take place in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. For the first time, this final competition will play host to 32 countries instead of 24.

The aim of the draw to be held on 4 December 1997 in France is to divide up into 8 groups the 32 countries playing in the first round. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the second-round matches, followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals, match for third place and final.

Altogether, there will be 64 matches over 33 days in the final phase.

Calendar of matches

AN HISTORIC RECORD

With 32 teams competing in a total of 64 matches, which is 8 teams and 12 matches more than in the previous competitions, France will be hosting in 1998 the biggest World Cup ever organised! What may be regarded as the biggest sporting event of the end of the century will take place over 33 days, from 10 June to 12 July 1998.

THE DATES

A World Cup in each city

64 matches, 33 days and 10 venues make up a richly diverse event, and the match calendar is designed so that Saint-Denis, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lens, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Paris, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse will each host a varied and intense series of matches.

ENSURING GREATER FAIRNESS

The calendar of the matches gives a perfectly fair treatment to each of the teams going for the title of World Champion. Apart from the fact that the first three matches will be played in different stadiums, each team will be allowed similar rest periods between each match. The time spent on traveling between the venues will also be taken into account in calculating the rest days. Hence, the teams playing in the semi-final in Marseille will be allowed an extra rest day compared to the teams playing at Saint-Denis, to make up for the fatigue of the trip.

The pitches

THE PLAYING FIELD

FIFA's terms and conditions require the quality of the pitches to be above reproach. So the matches have been spread out over all the ten stadiums with the aim of preserving the quality of the pitches. For this reason, there will be a minimum of one day's break between two matches in the same stadium. This break will amount to 3 days in most cases.

FOR THE WIDEST POSSIBLE PUBLIC

The 2.5 million spectators expected during the World Cup were the decisive element in the drawing up of the calendar, which has the following objectives:

FIFA

CREATION

Founded in 1904 on the initiative of a French journalist, Robert Guérin, to provide football with an international body to ensure its unity, development and control, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) now has 193 affiliated national associations. It is one of the most prestigious sports organisations in the world.

Seven national associations ‹ Belgium, Denmark, Spain through F.C. Madrid, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland ‹ were the first to join on 2 May 1904 in Paris, when they chose Robert Guérin as its President.

Ninety-two years later, football is the most popular sport in the world, practiced by nearly 250 million people, including 30 million women. The number of spectators in the stadiums and of television viewers amounts to billions.

ITS ROLE

The work of FIFA covers the application of the rules of the game, the international transfers of players, the organisation of competitions (World Cup, Under-17 and Under-20 World Championships, Women's World Championship, Olympic Games Football Tournament, 5-a-side World Championship), and the organisation of courses on administration, training, refereeing and sports medicine, with the goal of developing football throughout the world.

The FIFA headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland. Since 1974, it has had Dr. João Havelange as President.

ITS ORGANISATION
The FIFA Congress

The FIFA Congress, its governing body, meets once a year. It draws up the statutes and the rules and, every four years, elects its President. Each properly affiliated national association has the right to vote (one vote).

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is made up of:

The Executive Committee is the executive body of FIFA. It decides on all the questions which do not come within the scope of the Congress, except for those which the statutes reserve for other bodies.

The International Confederations
The national associations affiliated to FIFA and belonging geographically to the same continent have grouped themselves into recognised confederations.

Oceania is recognized as an independent geographical group (Oceania Football Confederation, OFC, set up in 1966).