Netflix is set to deliver a unique blend of football nostalgia and sharp comedy with its upcoming original program, 'Dans la sauce.' The streaming giant announced the show, which will feature a comedic roast format pitting members of France's legendary 1998 World Cup-winning squad against their modern-day counterparts from the 2018 championship team.
The concept, as described by host and comedian Paul de Saint Sernin, is straightforward yet compelling: invite players from both iconic teams, subject them to good-natured but pointed humor from a panel of comedians, and ultimately settle the long-standing debate over which generation truly reigns supreme. "In essence, we're inviting players from France 98 and France 2018. We're going to roast them hard, and we'll see at the end which of the two teams was the better World Cup champion squad," Saint Sernin explained.
This format taps directly into a passionate, ongoing discussion among French football fans. The 1998 team, led by captain Didier Deschamps and star Zinedine Zidane, ended France's long wait for a first World Cup title on home soil. Their victory was a seminal moment in the nation's sporting history, uniting the country and creating a generation of heroes. The 'Black-Blanc-Beur' team became a symbol of multicultural success and national pride.
Two decades later, the 2018 squad, also captained by the now-manager Deschamps, repeated the feat in Russia. Featuring a new generation of global superstars like Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, the victory cemented France's status as a modern football powerhouse. The debate over which team was superior has raged in bars and on talk shows ever since, focusing on style, dominance, and individual talent.
'Dans la sauce' aims to settle this debate not through tactical analysis, but through the lens of humor. The roast format, popularized in the United States, involves participants delivering and receiving comedic insults. It requires a specific chemistry and willingness from the subjects to laugh at themselves, a dynamic that will be fascinating to watch with elite athletes known for their competitive intensity.
The show will be hosted by Paul de Saint Sernin, a rising figure in French comedy. He will be joined by a supporting cast of humorists including Hakim Jemili, Pablo Mira, and Sarah Lélé. Their task will be to craft jokes that resonate with football culture while navigating the personalities and histories of the players involved. The comedic panel's ability to balance respect for sporting achievement with sharp wit will be key to the show's success.
A significant element of mystery surrounds the project, as Netflix has not yet revealed which specific champions from either the 1998 or 2018 rosters will participate. The selection of players will dramatically shape the show's tone and content. Will it feature universally beloved figures, or will it include more controversial personalities known for their strong characters? The casting decisions will be closely watched by fans and media alike.
The announcement places this program within a growing trend of sports-entertainment crossovers on streaming platforms. Networks and services are increasingly leveraging the celebrity and nostalgia of retired athletes to create content that appeals beyond the live match. For Netflix, this represents an investment in French-language content with built-in, passionate audiences across the Francophone world.
Scheduled for release on June 3, 'Dans la sauce' will offer a fresh perspective on two of France's most cherished sporting achievements. It promises to humanize the icons of '98 and '18, showing a side of them rarely seen on the pitch. Whether it can definitively answer the 'which team was better' question remains to be seen, but it is sure to provide memorable moments and fuel the debate for years to come.
Based on reporting from Foot - actualités, mercato, info & vidéo en continu.