It is the first time France have hosted a major football tournament since the World Cup in 1998, which they famously won with a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final.
Playing the first game of the tournament didn’t go to plan, however, in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea when the French were stunned by Senegal.
France's opponents' Romania were undefeated in their ten qualifying fixtures and the two teams have drawn four of last five competitive matches.
Teams
There was no place in the French squad for Karim Benzema but good Premier League seasons saw Leicester City's N'Golo Kante and West Ham United's Dimitri Payet both included.
Both are expected to start on Friday with Payet getting the nod in a probable front three, ahead of Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, alongside Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud.
For Romania, Watford goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon could be edged out by Fiorentina’s Ciprian Tatarusanu while former Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches has been named as captain.
Ones to Watch
France: Paul Pogba
The 23-year-old Juventus midfielder, a long-standing transfer target of Manchester United, scored eight goals and made 12 assists in the Serie A last season.
He's a vital cog in the France machine who can not only score goals but can feed the likes of Giroud and Griezmann to give Les Bleus some real menace going forward.
He said: "I want to work, to be a great, to win everything.
"When I say I want to become a legend, some people say it's pretentious. For me, it's a challenge. My desire, a dream. I'm not saying I'll get there, but it's what I want."
Romania: Vlad Chiriches
Named as captain by Iordanescu, Chiriches will have a key role to play if Romania are to progress from Pool A which also includes Albania and Switzerland.
The 26-year-old was a mainstay of the Napoli defence during their Europa League campaign before they were knocked out by Villarreal.
He said: "France will be tough and playing at home makes them even tougher.
"I'm dreaming of making a historical performance, but I know how difficult this will be. We are fighting for our country and for our dreams, and nobody can take that away."
Head to head record
France and Romania last met in the qualifying group for Euro 2012 with the Romanians holding Les Bleus to a goalless draw in Bucharest.
Earlier in the group stage, goals from Loic Remy and Yoann Gourcuff had helped France to a 2-0 win in Paris.
Both matches in the qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup were drawn while their last meeting in the Euros came in 2008 where there was another draw in Zurich.
Source: Sportsbeat
