France, with the weight of a nation on their shoulders, embark on what they hope with be a tournament to remember, with the first hurdle coming up in the shape of Romania. Not too many have given Romania a chance of upsetting France in the opening match of Euro 2016, but with all the pressure on the home side, the underdogs will fancy their chances of an upset.
The pressure on France is not just to win games and eventually lift the Euro 2016 title, but to do it in style. The best way to start appeasing the fans and getting them to support them through the tournament is by putting on a show in their Euro 2016 opener against Romania. Easier said than done, of course, but with the attacking talent at Didier Deschamps' disposal, it is certainly well within the realms of possibility.
Get the highlights of the match HERE
"The less the occasion weighs on the players, the better," France coach Deschamps was quoted as saying by UEFA's official website. "We have been preparing for June 10 for two years.
"It's important to be back in competition football. Our last official game was the quarterfinal against Germany at the (2014) World Cup [in 2014]. The others have all been friendlies. The setting is the Stade de France – the opening game – so it is certainly special. This should set the tone for the whole tournament.
"Obviously, we're playing in France, but the Romanian team we're up against will not roll over and they will give their best to achieve a good result."
France will know what to expect against Romania – a well-organised team with a parsimonious-as-they-come defence. Deschamps, though, hopes that Romania come out a little and play as well, because he knows the more Romania attack, the more France can exploit the spaces.
"If they want to win this match, they can't just defend," Deschamps added on France's opponents. "This team know how to defend but it's not the only thing they're good at. I watched their most recent games and they are good going forward.
"I am expecting them to come with the intention of upsetting us, so it will be an interesting battle over the 90 minutes."
What will make it more interesting will be if France concede an early goal. The home team's defence looks far from assured and it will not be a surprise if Romania find a goal on a counter-attack or a setpiece.
"We are up against one of the best teams in the tournament, among the favourites," Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu said. "I hope and believe our players will do their best to show everybody that we have a good team, a worthy team capable of putting in a good performance.
"The objective is to qualify, to get through the group, and make a very good impression at the same time."
Where to Watch Live
France vs Romania is scheduled for a 9 p.m. local time (12.30 a.m. IST, 8 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. ET) start. Below are all the live streaming and TV options from around the world to peruse through.
India: TV: Sony Six/HD and Sone ESPN/HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
France: TV: TF1 and Bein Sports 1. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
UK: TV: ITV 1. Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live. Live Streaming: ITV Hub.
USA: TV: ESPN 2 and ESPN 3. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Canada: TV: TSN and RDS. Live Streaming: TSN TV.
Australia: TV: Bein Sports and SBS One. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
Germany: TV: ZDF and ORF.
Latin America: TV: DirecTV.
China and Hong Kong: TV: CCTV and LeTV.
Thailand: TV: Channel 3.
Singapore: TV: Eleven Singapore and Singtel. Live Streaming: Singtel Go.
Malaysia: TV: Astro.
Middle East and North Africa: TV: Bein Sports Max. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa: TV: SuperSport 3. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
