Team facts - France
France are taking part in the World Cup for the 12th time. Their best performance came in 1998 when they lifted the trophy in their own country. In the final they beat Brazil (3-0). In 2002, France were knocked out in the group phase without scoring a single goal. No other defending champion has failed to score a goal or finished bottom of its group.
France have not scored in their last three World Cup matches. Between 1930 and 1994, Bolivia set the World Cup record by not netting a single a goal in five consecutive matches. France have not won in the last three World Cup matches. Between 1966 and 1978 France had their worst ever World Cup run, failing to win in five successive games. France have won five, lost five and drawn one of their 11 opening contests in World Cup finals.
Team facts - Switzerland
Switzerland will be taking part in the World Cup for the eighth time. They made the quarter-finals on three occasions (1934, 1938, 1954), but have not won an opening fixture at the finals since 1954 when they were the hosts.
Switzerland have failed to keep a clean sheet in all of their previous 22 World Cup matches. This already marks an all-time World Cup record. On the positive side, no Swiss player has ever been sent off in a World Cup match.
The US tied Switzerland in their first match in the 1994 WC.