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France

The first game of American football was played in France in 1919 when American soldiers who remained on French territory after the First World War played in the former Parc des Princes stadium.

The first French team Spartacus de Paris was formed in 1980 and in turn the French Federation of American Football (FFFA) was born in 1983 with nine clubs and 600 licensed players.

In 1995, the FFFA created the Elite Championship first division, which was named Casque de Diamant (translated as Helmet of Diamond).  The same year, running back Thibault Giroux became the first French player to be selected for NFL Europe and played for the Barcelona Dragons.  He was followed in later years by the likes of Marc Soumah, Samyr Hamoudi and Phillipe Gardent, who was named Defensive Player of the Year in NFL Europe in 2005.

In 2004, France won its first international title when the junior national team triumphed at the European Junior Championship.  France successfully defended its title in 2006 and claimed third place in Sevilla, Spain, in 2008.

In 2005, the French senior national team took the Bronze Medal at the 2005 World Games in Germany.  In 2007 France lost to Japan and Sweden in the group stages of the third IFAF World Championship held in Tokyo and to Korea in the fifth place playoff.

Address:
Fédération Française de Football Américain
79 rue rateau
93 120 La Courneuve, France

Website:  www.FFFA.org

Quick Facts

  • The Eiffel Tower is 984 feet tall - about the height of a 70-story building
  • Every summer more than 100 professional cyclists race in the Tour de France – a race that is approximately 2,000 miles long
  • The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is displayed at the Louvre

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