[1][2][3] Even though he had an ephemeral life, which ended at the hands of the First World War, he remains the youngest player in the history of the French national team, aged 17 years and 75 days.
[4] He played this match as a winger alongside his club teammate Viallemonteil, and despite the 4–1 victory, the French newspaper L'Auto credited him with a poor performance, stating that "Vial was pitiful".
[6] Two days later, he took part in a match for his club against Red Star FC where he performances poorly again, thus failing to confirm "the choice of the CFI selection committee, showing himself to be much inferior to his colleagues".
[4][7] Following the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914, Vial became a second-class private of the 161st regiment, being "killed by the enemy" during the First Battle of Champagne on 25 January 1915, at the tender age of 20, near Vienne-le-Château in Argonne (Marne).
[3][4] However, the weekly newspaper Sporting only reported his death a year later, in March 1916, stating that "the international F. Vial, of CA Vitry, died on the field of honor".