A musical comedy about France 98 planned for the 30th anniversary of the World Cup triumph

Thirty years after France’s triumph at the Stade de France, the epic of 1998 could be reborn on stage. Producer Farid Benlagha Le Hazif is preparing a musical comedy dedicated to France’s World Cup title, according to Le Parisien, with a release planned for 2028.

Provisionally titled 1998, Our Greatest Story, the project aims to “tell the story of French society” through the lens of football. Benlagha Le Hazif, who has already adapted Mathieu Kassovitz’s film for the theatre, this time wants something “more mainstream, more feel-good, more accessible”.

Several members of the 1998 World Cup finalist team have reportedly already been approached and are showing enthusiasm about participating in the venture. The producer has not specified which players would be involved, nor in what form their participation would be envisaged.

Beyond sport, the show intends to celebrate a moment of national cohesion. “We were able to demonstrate that we were capable of being happy together, regardless of our origins, our colours, our religions,” Benlagha Le Hazif explained, evoking a country united around its differences rather than its divisions.

As for the soundtrack, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor — the spontaneous anthem of the popular celebration on 12 July 1998 — should logically feature in the programme. The project remains at the development stage, and no performance dates or venue have yet been officially confirmed. 12 July next will mark the 28th anniversary of France’s first World Cup title, won under the direction of Aimé Jacquet with Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps as leading figures.