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 There it is, then – mighty Cyprus have been sent packing, Les Bleus are going to the World Cup, the Earth still revolves around the sun and all is well in l'hexagone. Er… ahem. Well, maybe not, but while Raymond Domenech slides his fake moustache and wig back under the bed until the next crisis, it's time for the rest of us to ask what kind of threat his team will pose on German soil in eight months' time.
And though it may be tempting to say that anything goes these days if Greece can win the European Championship and Porto the Champions' League, that would make for a very short article. So assuming there's some small amount of logic left to these things, where do France lie on the scale between Angola and Brazil? Will they be partying like it's 1998 or skulking home after another 2002?
If the qualifiers tell a story – a debatable point after France's crushing display before Euro 2004 – then it is not entirely clear what story they are telling. On the one hand, qualification frustratingly came down to the final game, or perhaps even Shay Given's late save from Alexander Frei in Dublin, and a trail of uninspiring performances were left scattered along the way. On the other, the French successfully navigated the traditional route to a final phase for the first time since 1985 and, having only conceded twice, finished with the second-best defensive record in Europe (behind Serbia-Montenegro, since you ask).
Moreover, considering how badly their campaign was flagging at the halfway stage, they can at least claim to have improved with time, something England fans would love to be able to say. Of course, the upturn in fortunes had much to do with the return of the old guard, and Domenech's side recorded three wins and a draw in competitive encounters after Zinedine Zidane et al. famously changed their minds. For some, those comebacks constitute about as positive a step forward as communing with the dead, and Michel Platini has rightly pointed out that the same players made little difference in Portugal last year.
Tricolore fans not paid for their opinions are not too concerned, however, and if anyone could stop them signing "Zizou, Zizou, Zizou" for long enough, they would probably point to a couple of mitigating circumstances. For example, Zidane, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram all know this is their last international tournament and that is sure to add an extra, emotional dimension to their individual contributions. Likewise, the 'prodigal son' nature of their resurrections has imbued them with a strong sense of mission, most keenly felt when Zidane related how a bizarre 3am conversation with his brother set the ball rolling.
 It is also significant that, in the bread-and-butter realm of tactics, Zidane now finds himself back in his favoured position at long last. Jacques Santini (right) seemed to suffer conniptions when dealing with the three-time World Player of the Year at Euro 2004, often shunting him out onto the left and tying him down with defensive duties, but the Real Madrid man will no longer be budged from his central role behind the striker(s). Nor will anyone be pleading with his 33-year-old legs to track back.
In a tactical sense, the much-maligned France Coach looks to be making headway, even if the fluidity of days gone by is still absent. Indeed, while Sven-Goran Eriksson struggles to make a coherent team out of undeniably excellent individuals, Domenech seems to have settled upon two formations that should theoretically get the best out of his raw materials. Whether he employs 4-3-1-2 with Thierry Henry alongside David Trezeguet up front, or 4-2-3-1 with two wide men bracketing Zidane, everyone is gradually adapting to their roles. The latter has spoken highly of the understanding he has developed with Florent Malouda, for instance, which will done wonders for the young Lyon left-winger's confidence, and even Vikash Dhorasoo recovered from being substituted at half-time against Switzerland with a bright display and a goal against the Cypriots.
 Crucially, there is a quality replacement in almost every position as well, and if Jean-Alain Boumsong continues to look shaky at the back in the run-up to the main event, William Gallas can join Lilian Thuram in the middle, with Gaël Givet or Eric Abidal taking over on the left. The battle has even been joined in goal, where Fabien Barthez will feel the ambitious Grégory Coupet (left) breathing down his neck and probably not using mouthwash just to emphasise his point.
Who will be calling those particular shots appears to be a matter of some debate, however, and the suspicion persists that Domenech is in thrall to Zidane and his senior players. The most generous assessment would be that he dare not leave them out, as he himself admitted after his half-fit captain was left on to complete an anonymous display against the Swiss: "If I'd taken Zidane off, I don't know what would have happened. He's a player who gives everyone else confidence, he's so useful to us."
As worrying as that blind dedication may be, many actually feel that Zidane and co. currently run the entire show. Thuram is known not to get along with Domenech at all, another senior player has called him "a prat" and the former U-21 boss may simply feel it is better to let them get on with it for the good of 'la patrie'. But having so stridently sidelined 'troublemakers' like Robert Pires and Mickaël Silvestre at the start of his rein, it all smacks of unhealthy compromise, not to mention a return to the overbearing player-power that blighted France's 2002 World Cup bid.
 The brutal truth, though, is that Les Bleus need their increasingly injury-prone No 10 to be at the height of his powers (or, as high as they get these days) if they are to challenge for honours next summer. For while they appear to be a harder outfit to beat than a year ago, someone is going to have to light the touch paper at the other end. And another gruelling season in the Spanish capital could leave that plan in tatters.
"Sometimes the most difficult births result in the most beautiful children," offered Domenech after the Cyprus game, sugar-coating his team's qualifying effort – and sadly missing the point that youth is something his key men do not have on their side.
So can France lift the World Cup next summer? Well, if Greece can win the European Championship and Porto the Champions' League, then anything goes… right?
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