In fact, the France World Cup away shirt 2014 has proven to be one of the biggest sellers of the year so far at the Soccer Box online store. Soccer Box offers a full range of football gear for every team that will be playing in this year's World Cup, but pride for the French team has seemed particularly strong in the months leading up to the June and July World Cup tournament

France Fights to Return to the Peak of Football Prominence

So why is the France soccer jersey proving to be such a magnetic seller this year? It isn't because the France national football team is considered a frontrunner for World Cup domination. On the contrary, FIFA currently has the team situated at number 16 on its world team rankings. That's not a bad place to be by any means, but it does leave France trailing significantly behind point leaders like Spain (the defending champions) and Germany.

And yet the France World Cup away shirt continues to sell like hot cakes. Perhaps fans of the team are merely hoping for the best after a disappointing 2010 World Cup (where the French team was sent packing after the group stage) or perhaps they are merely looking back to the team's close-but-no-cigar finish at the 2006 event (where France lost a 5-3 penalty shoot-out in the final to yield the championship title to Italy).

France vs. Brazil: World Cup 1998 Rematch?

Either way, there is no doubt that the in-demand nature of the France soccer jersey at Soccer Box shows strong support for the team both from nationals and from fans worldwide.

Another reason for the momentum could be that football fans have a superstitious belief of sorts that this year's World Cup event could mirror the happenings of France's winning 1998 event. In that particular World Cup, France was the home team and ended up beating Brazil in the final for a 3-0 victory.

This year, the circumstances are reversed, with Brazil playing the role of home team and France presenting themselves as the challengers. However, since both teams have continued to show immense promise and skill recently, there is certainly a chance that they could both end up back in the finals this year for a contentious rematch of that 1998 event.

Group Stage Challenges

Before the France World Cup away shirt 2014 can become a fixture in the championship match of the 2014 World Cup, however, the French team will have to make it beyond the group stage for the first time since 2006. This year, France has been placed into Group E, which also includes Switzerland, Ecuador, and Honduras.

Luckily for France, Group E is one of the less challenging groups in this year's football World Cup, though that hardly means that the team will not have its work cut out for it. Of the three other teams in the group, France is only outranked on the FIFA standings by Switzerland (who are currently ranked at number 8). Still, both Ecuador and Honduras have shown real playing chops making it this far, and neither will go quietly.

In order to advance, France will have to outperform at least two of the teams in Group E. It will have the opportunity to do so in a series of three matches in June. France plays Honduras on June 15, Switzerland on June 20, and Ecuador on June 25.

Stock up on Gear

Interested in cheering France on in those three group stage matches in June? Head to Soccer Box today and pick up a France soccer jersey to show your team spirit.