frbleus1-2, Exercise 1: A timeline to 1930

Model answer (check the details; items marked * are the ones to check first):

1870s   Le Havre Athletic Club founded, playing rugby and football *
1882    Racing Club de France founded for athletics (football added later) *
1890s   Standard Athletic Club plays in Paris; first USFSA championship, won by Standard in 1894 *
1897    Red Star founded in Paris, with Jules Rimet among its founders *
1900    Football played at the Paris Olympics; a British side, Upton Park, wins *
1904    France draws 3-3 with Belgium (1 May); FIFA founded in Paris (21 May) *
1908    Football an official Olympic sport in London; France sends two teams *
1919    Federation reorganised as the FFF; the cup takes the name Coupe de France *
1921    Rimet becomes FIFA president *
1930    First World Cup in Uruguay; France loses to Argentina and Chile; Lucien Laurent scores the first World Cup goal *

Why check: early dates are often disputed, and some clubs claim earlier founding years than their records show.

Care: dates in the model answer come from general knowledge, so confirm each against the federation, FIFA and a reliable history.