The first round elimination of champions France came at an awkward moment for President Jacques Chirac falling in between two rounds of voting in the French parliamentary election where he was desperate for a right-wing victory.

• 法国队在世界杯首轮小组赛就被淘汰出局，这对于法国总统希拉克来说无异于雪上加霜。因为当时，他在法国议会的两轮选举中正处于劣势，急于要让右翼政党胜出，所以国家球队的失利又让他遭受了一大打击。