France: The Undefeated Quartet

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Blanc(standing second from left), Desailly(standing fourth from left), Thuram(standing first from right), Lizarazu(sitting first from right).

French golden era

The age-old adage, Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles found its perfect embodiment in the French national team of the late 1990s. While the genius of Zinedine Zidane often captured the spotlight, the true bedrock of France's golden era was an impenetrable defensive wall. This legendary backline, featuring Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly, and Bixente Lizarazu, formed an invincible unit. In the 28 matches they played together for France between 19 June 1996 and 6 September 2000, they never tasted defeat, building an extraordinary legacy of 21 wins and 7 draws.

Formative years

This formidable unit wasn't assembled overnight. The journey began with Laurent Blanc, who made his debut for France way back in 1989. He was later joined by Marcel Desailly in 1993 and Lilian Thuram in 1994. The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place with the arrival of Bixente Lizarazu in 1996. The quartet first stood together in the spring of 1996 during a friendly match against Germany in Stuttgart. France secured a 1-0 victory, with the lone goal scored by the veteran of the group, Laurent Blanc himself.

Quadret's pinnacle

The quartet reached its zenith at the most opportune moment: the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil. They powered France to its first-ever World Cup trophy, culminating in a dominant 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final, even with Blanc famously suspended. Their reign continued into UEFA Euro 2000, where they clinched the title with a dramatic golden-goal victory against Italy. However, this defensive wall was not built in isolation. Their efforts were amplified by the world-class goalkeeping of Fabien Barthez and a formidable midfield shield that included Didier Deschamps, Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira.

End of partnership

Laurent Blanc was the first to hang up his international boots, retiring immediately after the triumph of Euro 2000. Desailly and Lizarazu continued to represent Les Bleus until 2004, while the seemingly ageless Lilian Thuram played on until Euro 2008, becoming France's most-capped player. Their combined legacy remains the benchmark for defensive excellence.

Can you think of another defensive quartet in football history that was as dominant and invincible as this one?