BBC World Service is one of the world's largest broadcasters and has definitely not closed down!
However the 648 kHz medium wave transmitter, based in Suffolk and serving western parts of Europe, ceased transmitting several years ago. The only hope of getting UK sports commentaries from the BBC, in a car in France (solely via the car's radio), is to tune to Radio 5 Live. The coastal transmitters near to the English Channel (Brighton, Bexhill and Folkestone) on 693kHz are all very low-powered (using just 1kW of power), so they're unlikely to be of any use in France. The best chance of getting a signal is from the Brookman's Park (London) transmitter, which radiates 150kW, on 909kHz.
It could also be worth seeing what TalkSport has to offer. Once again the coastal transmitters are all low-powered and it's the Brookman's Park transmitter that offers the best chance of reception in France. It's on 1089 kHz and, at 400kW, nearly three times as powerful as the Radio 5 Live transmitter.
Chris