Didier Deschamps will remember it, Zinédine Zidane and Youri Djorkaeff too. Thirty years after the 10-0 victory of the French team against Azerbaijan in September 1995 in Auxerre, the Blues led by “La Dèche” could face the Azeri selection in their third match of the World Cup qualifiers 2026, October 10 (probably in Saint-Denis). France will be included in Group D of qualifying – to start against Ukraine and Iceland in September 2025 – in the event of victory against Croatia in the quarter-finals of the League of Nations in three months.
This 10-0 record in 1995 (before the 14-0 against Gibraltar in November 2023) really launched the Blues of Aimé Jacquet world champions 98. Zidane, then aged 24, had started with the Blues taking advantage of a withdrawal from Djorkaeff in August 1994. But the two talented attacking midfielders were never started together before the arrival of the old republic Soviet at Abbee-Deschamps during the 8th match of the Euro 96 qualifiers. The French coach was in fact deprived of Jean-Pierre Papin and Eric Cantona, who were still the star players of the selection after the disastrous France-Bulgaria from November 1993.
Zidane and Djorkaeff, the associated artists
“Zizou” and “The Snake” were associated with Christophe Dugarry and Reynald Pedros in the offensive sector and the Blues offered an offensive recital. Djorkaeff took the corner which allowed Marcel Desailly to open the scoring with a header before doubling the lead. In the second period, Zidane, offset by David Ginola, showed off his technique to score strongly and Djorkaeff scored twice on a fourth assist from Vincent Guérin. Frank Leboeuf had incredible success in front of goal by scoring with a Madjer and a cross shot.
A year later, to start Euro 96 (1-0 victory against Romania in Newcastle), Aimé Jacquet thus associated Zidane, Djorkaeff and Dugarry in the offensive sector. Patrice Loko took the place of “Duga” up front during the second match against Spain. The “JPP”/“Canto”/“Gino” page was definitively turned and this French group led by Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps thus continued its journey to the world title and then victory at Euro 2000.
