 Though, under-21 teams weren't formed until 1976, "Les Espoirs", a youth national team in France, had existed since 1950 playing its first match on 22 May 1952 defeating England 7–1 at the Stade Jules Deschaseaux in Le Havre.The team's next match was two years later suffering a 3–1 defeat to Italy in Vicenza.For the rest of the decade, the youth team played seven more matches, which included a 1–1 draw with Hungary in Budapest and a 2–0 loss to England in Sunderland in 1959.