Will President Jacques Chirac have the nerve? Will he shun traditional attire to turn up for tonight's France-Croatia semi-final clash wearing his team's blue jersey? Midfielder Robert Pires has urged Chirac to don the national shirt and the world remembers the 1995 rugby final when Nelson Mandela urged on the Springboks wearing the captain's green jersey and cap.

Befitting his rank and his politics, the Gaullist head of state will be seated to the right of former French international midfielder Michel Platini, who will have socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin to his left. With the nitty-gritty affairs of state sidelined by World Cup mania, France's two rival political leaders are unabashedly playing to shoot inside the stadium.