Les Bleus: The Social, Political, and Cultural Influence of the French National Football Team

This thesis delineates the unique cultural influence of 'Les Bleus' – France's National Football Team. The paper traces the evolution of the social, cultural, and political discourse in France from 1998 – the year of Les Bleus' first World Cup triumph – to 2018 – the year of their most recent title. The qualitative approach utilized in this paper draws on interviews with academics and scholars and places them alongside media and political discourse to provide a holistic understanding of the influence that the team has wielded in France over the last two decades. This paper's qualitative angle highlights the strong correlation that exists between the performances of Les Bleus and prevailing social, cultural, and political discourse. The findings presented throughout lend themselves to a handful of governmental strategies that would enhance Les Bleus' cultural role, enabling continued social and political influence, while also protecting against the negative externalities of the team's sporting failures.