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Right-back - Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram is the most capped French footballer in history with 142 international appearances. Thuram primarily played at right-back but was a solid center back as well. He played a crucial part in France's golden generation in the 2000s which led to the FIFA World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000 triumphs.
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Thuram scored the only two goals of his international career against Croatia in the FIFA World 1998 semi-final. Thuram's resilience and grit at the back forced the then French head coach, Raymond Domenech, to convince Thuram to come out of retirement. He wanted Thuram to come and join the French side for the FIFA World Cup 2006 as they made it all the way to the final.
Centre back - Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc's international career began with a personal win. He was named the Golden Player of the Euro U-21 1998. Blanc made a tough start to his senior national team career as France failed to qualify for both the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups and subsequently retired. Blanc returned to Les Bleus after being convinced by the then France head coach, Aime Jacquet.
Blanc was exemplary in France's 1998 FIFA World Cup winning campaign and went on to score the first ever golden goal of the tournament against Paraguay in the round-of-16. France only scored two goals in the World Cup, courtesy of a tight France defensive display led by Le President Laurent Blanc. Blanc played a crucial part in the Euro 2000 triumph as well by playing as a sweeper before retiring with 97 caps and 16 goals.
Centre back - Marcel Desailly
Partnering Blanc at the back, Marcel Desailly is arguably one of the greatest center backs and defensive midfielders of the French national team. He played a key part in the World Cup 1998 winning campaign and was also part of the subsequent Euro 2000 victory.
Desailly was made the captain of the French national team after Didier Deschamps called it a day in 2000. He led Les Bleus to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 title. Desailly surpassed the record for international appearances (116) for France before being taken over by his compatriot Lilian Thuram in a few years' time.
Left back - Bixente Lizarazu
Completing the defensive prowess of the France national team in the FIFA World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000 is left-back Bixente Lizarazu. Lizarazu made 96 appearances for Les Bleus in a career spanning 12 years.
He started in both the elusive finals of WC'98 and Euro'00. Lizarazu scored two goals in his playing career and retired after France were knocked out by Greece at Euro 2004.
