Football
Americans call it soccer, but around the world it is known as football, and to say that football is popular may be the understatement of the year! Governed by the French Football Federation, France's team placed second during the 2006 World Cup, and won the World Cup (while the host nation) in 1998. Unfortunately, along with their respectable second place showing, controversy is also a part of France's football reputation. During a 2006 World Cup match, player Zinedine Zidane head butted Italian player Marco Materazzi in the chest. While it's true the two players exchanged words, at the time, it was unclear as to what exactly was said.
Today, both players still dispute the exact words that were said, however, both do agree that Marco Materazzi made some crude comments in reference to Zinedine Zidane's sister. Mr. Zidane has since retired from the sport, but still remains very well-known in France.