From the Three Lions of England, to Wales’ red dragon, the South Korean tiger and Germany’s eagle. International football nations are usually represented by a deadly predator.
Not France, who proudly wear a rooster on their chest. As one of football’s powerhouse nations who have fielded some of the greatest players of all time, the image is very familiar to football fans.
France are battling for glory at Euro 2024, hoping to win the European Championship for a third time.
The French rooster is so familiar that most fans wouldn’t question its presence on Kylian Mbappe’s chest in Gremany, but there is a specific reason for the animal representing France.
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Why is there a rooster on France jersey?
The shape adorning France’s national team kits and the FFF’s logo is the Gallic rooster: a symbol of their home country.
Les Blues have the logo stitched onto the left breast of their shirts, and the rooster dominates much of the merchandise sold by the French team.
The Gallic Rooster hoping to take France to the final! ?#MoroccoVsFrance #QatarWorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/3V1SE0WaTC
— SPORF (@Sporf) December 14, 2022
When France team badge was created
There have been many different incarnations of the France Football Federation’s logo, but all have included the rooster.
The FFF was founded in 1919 and immediately took on the rooster as their symbol, depicting the animal standing on a ball.
The symbol has been given a makeover seven times since. In 2007, the FFF dropped the image of a football from the logo, leaving only the Gallic rooster standing proud.
What does the gallic rooster mean in French culture?
The gallic rooster’s journey to becoming a national symbol began in Ancient Roman times, when what became France was controlled by the Roman Empire.
The Romans realised that the Latin word “Gallus” means rooster as well as an inhabitant of Gaul: a sprawling region of western Europe that extends into present-day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland and more.
Archeology has uncovered ancient coins depicting the rooster and later, in the Middle Ages, the rooster became a religious token of hope and faith.
The animal became more prevalent as France defined itself culturally during the Renaissance before steady losing its significance, until the French Revolution entrenched it as a symbol of the nation.
It was used on many World War memorials and widely adopted by sports teams and brands through the 20th Century.
MORE: France's squad at Euro 2024, led by Kylian Mbappe
Why does France team wear blue?
The “Bleu de France” was the colour chosen to represent the French monarchy from the 12th Century onwards, and later became adopted across sports.
From the Alpine Formula One team to Les Blues’ World Cup heroes, blue is synonymous with French sport.
Getty Images
Why are there two stars on the French team shirt?
Glory at the World Cup doesn’t only bring footballing immortality, a huge prize pot and the iconic trophy. Victorious teams can add one golden star to their jersey for each World Cup glory, usually placed above their national crest.
France have lifted two World Cups, the first with Zinedine Zidane and Co. in 1998, before Kylian Mbappe led them to victory again in 2018.