Balthazar, Shot on iPhone 17 Pro by Nicholas Alan Cope.

July 2026 was très sporty for Paris, with the Les Bleus competing in the World Cup and the Tour de France culminating there.

Nothing captures Gallic pride and expectation better than the rooster emblazoned on the national team shirt.

But you can’t just put any massive coq on Place de la Concorde. It has to be a coq close to French hearts. That’s why we tracked down Balthazar, the nation’s most famous football-loving rooster.