France national football team
Encyclopedia
The France national football team represents the nation of France
in international
football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation
, the governing body
of football in France
, and competes as a member of UEFA
, which encompasses the countries of Europe. The national team's traditional colours are blue, white and red, the colors of the national flag of France
, known as the drapeau tricolore, and the coq gaulois
is the symbol of the team. France is colloquially known as Les Bleus (The Blues), which is the name associated with all of the country's sporting national teams, due to the blue shirts each team incorporates.
France played its first official match in 1904, and today primarily plays its home matches at the Stade de France
in Saint-Denis
, a suburb of Paris. The national team has won one FIFA World Cup
title, two UEFA European Football Championship
s, an Olympic tournament
, and two FIFA Confederations Cup
s. Following France's 2001 Confederations Cup
victory, they became, along with Argentina
, the only national teams to win the three most important men's titles organized by FIFA
. France has a strong rivalry with neighbours Italy
, and has historically also had important rivalries with Belgium, Brazil
, England
, and Germany
.
The national team has experienced much of its success during three major "golden generation
s": in the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s, which resulted in numerous major honours. France was one of the four European teams that participated in the inaugural World Cup in 1930
and, although having been eliminated in the qualification stage six times, is one of only three teams that have entered every World Cup cycle. In 1958, the team, led by Raymond Kopa
and Just Fontaine
, finished in third place at the FIFA World Cup
. In 1984, France, led by Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini
, won UEFA Euro 1984. Under the leadership of Didier Deschamps
and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year
Zinedine Zidane
, France became one of eight national teams to win the FIFA World Cup in 1998
when it hosted the tournament. Two years later, the team triumphed again in UEFA Euro 2000 and became the top team in the FIFA World Rankings
for the first time. France has since added a pair of Confederations Cup titles, in 2001 and 2003, as well as an appearance in the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, which it lost 5–3 on penalties to Italy.
Following the team's disastrous 2010 FIFA World Cup
campaign, a major reconstruction within the federation resulted in the resignation of president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
and the appointment of former international Laurent Blanc
as manager. After dropping to 27th in the FIFA World Rankings in September 2010, its lowest ranking ever, France is currently ranked 15th.
's foundation on 21 May 1904 and contested its first official international match on 1 May 1904 against Belgium, in Brussels
, which ended in a 3–3 draw. The following year, on 12 February 1905, France contested their first ever home match against Switzerland
. The match was played at the Parc des Princes
in front of 500 supporters. France won the match 1–0 with the only goal coming from Gaston Cyprès. Due to disagreements between FIFA
and the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
(USFSA), the country's sports union, France struggled to establish an identity, On 9 May 1908, the French Interfederal Committee (CFI), a rival organization to the USFSA, ruled that FIFA would now be responsible for the club's appearances in forthcoming Olympics Games and not the USFSA. In 1919, the CFI transformed themselves into the French Football Federation
. In 1921, the USFSA finally merged with the French Football Federation.
In July 1930, France appeared in the inaugural FIFA World Cup
, held in Uruguay. In their first-ever World Cup match, France defeated Mexico 4–1 at the Estadio Pocitos
in Montevideo. Lucien Laurent
became notable in the match as he scored not only France's first World Cup goal, but the first goal in World Cup history. France later lost 1–0 to fellow group stage opponents Argentina
and Chile
resulting in the team bowing out in the group stage. The following year saw the first selection of a black
player to the national team. Raoul Diagne
, who was of Senegalese descent, earned his first cap on 15 February in a 2–1 defeat to Czechoslovakia
. Diagne later played with the team at the 1938 FIFA World Cup
, alongside Larbi Benbarek
, who was one of the first players of North African origin to play for the national team. At the 1934 FIFA World Cup
, France suffered elimination in the opening round, losing 3–2 to Austria
. On the team's return to Paris, they were greeted as heroes by a crowd of over 4,000 supporters. France hosted the 1938 FIFA World Cup
and reached the quarter-finals losing 3–1 to the defending champions Italy
.
The 1950s saw France handed its first Golden Generation
composed of players such as Just Fontaine
, Raymond Kopa
, Jean Vincent, Robert Jonquet
, Maryan Wisnieski, Thadée Cisowski
, and Armand Penverne
. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup
, France reached the semi-finals losing to Brazil
. In the third place match, France defeated West Germany 6–2 with Fontaine recording four goals, which brought his goal tally in the competition to 13, a World Cup record. The record still stands today. France hosted the inaugural UEFA European Football Championship
in 1960 and, for the second straight international tournament, reached the semi-finals. In the round, France faced Yugoslavia
and were shocked 5–4 despite being up 4–2 heading into the 75th minute. In the third-place match, France were defeated 2–0 by the Czechoslovakians.
The 1960s and 70s saw France decline significantly playing under several different managers and failing to qualify for numerous international tournaments. On 25 April 1964, Henri Guérin was officially installed as the team's first manager. Under Guérin, France failed to qualify for the 1962 FIFA World Cup
and the 1964 European Nations' Cup. The team did return to major international play following qualification for the 1966 FIFA World Cup
. The team lost in the group stage portion of the tournament. Guérin was fired following the World Cup. He was replaced by José Arribas and Jean Snella, who worked as caretaker manager
s in dual roles. The two only lasted four matches and were replaced by former international Just Fontaine
, who only lasted two. Louis Dugauguez
succeeded Fontaine and, following his early struggles in qualification
for the 1970 FIFA World Cup
, was fired and replaced by Georges Boulogne
, who could not get the team to the competition. Boulogne was later fired following his failure to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
and was replaced by the Romanian Stefan Kovacs, who became the first and only international manager to ever manage the national team. Kovács also turned out to be a disappointment failing to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
and UEFA Euro 1976. After two years in charge, he was sacked and replaced with Michel Hidalgo.
Under Hidalgo, France flourished, mainly due to the accolades of playmaker
Michel Platini
, who, alongside Jean Tigana
, Alain Giresse, and Luis Fernández
formed the "carré magique" ("Magic Square"), which would haunt opposing defenses beginning at the 1982 FIFA World Cup
, where France reached the semi-finals losing on penalties to rivals West Germany
. The semi-final match-up is considered one of the greatest matches in World Cup history and was marred with controversy. France earned their first major international honor two years later, winning UEFA Euro 1984, which they hosted. Under the leadership of Platini, who scored a tournament-high nine goals, France defeated Spain
2–0 in the final. Platini and Bruno Bellone
scored the goals. Following the Euro triumph, Hidalgo departed the team and was replaced by former international Henri Michel
. France later completed the hat-trick when they won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics
football tournament
and, a year later, defeated Uruguay 2–0 to win the Artemio Franchi Trophy
, an early precursor to the FIFA Confederations Cup
. In a span of a year, France were holders of three of the four major international trophies. At the 1986 FIFA World Cup
, France were favorites to win the competition, and, for the second consecutive World Cup, reached the semi-finals where they faced West Germany. Again, however, they lost. A 4–2 victory over Belgium gave France third place.
In 1988, the French Football Federation
opened the Clairefontaine
National Football Institute. Its opening ceremony was attended by then-President of France, François Mitterrand
. Five months after Clairefontaine's opening, manager Henri Michel
was fired
and was replaced by Michel Platini, who failed to get the team to the 1990 FIFA World Cup
. Platini did lead the team to UEFA Euro 1992 and, despite going on a 19-match unbeaten streak prior to the competition, suffered elimination in the group stage. A week after the completion of the tournament, Platini stepped down as manager and was replaced by his assistant Gérard Houllier
. Under Houllier, France and its supporters experienced a heartbreaking meltdown after having qualification to the 1994 FIFA World Cup
all but secured with two matches to go, which were against last place Israel
and Bulgaria
. In the match against Israel, France were upset 3–2 and, in the Bulgaria match, suffered an astronomical 2–1 defeat. The subsequent blame and public outcry to the firing of Houllier and departure of several players from the national team fold. His assistant Aimé Jacquet
was given his post.
Under Jacquet, the national team experienced its triumphant years. The squad composed of veterans that failed to reach the 1994 FIFA World Cup were joined by influential youngsters. The team started off well reaching the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1996 where they lost 6–5 on penalties to the Czech Republic
. In the team's next major tournament at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
, Jacquet led France to glory defeating Brazil 3–0 in the final at the Stade de France
. Jacquet stepped down after the country's World Cup triumph and was succeeded by assistant Roger Lemerre who guided them through UEFA Euro 2000
. Led by FIFA World Player of the Year
Zidane, France defeated Italy
2–1 in the final. Trezeguet scored the golden goal
in extra time. The victory gave the team the distinction of being the first national team to hold both the World Cup and Euro titles since West Germany
did so in 1974, and it was also the first time that a reigning World Cup winner went on to capture the Euro. Following the result, France were inserted to the number one spot in the FIFA World Rankings
.
France failed to maintain that pace in subsequent tournaments. Although, the team won the Confederations Cup in 2001
, France suffered a stunning goalless first round elimination at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
. One of the greatest shocks in World Cup history saw France condemned to a 1–0 defeat to debutantes Senegal
in the opening game of the tournament. After France finished bottom of the group, Lemerre was dismissed and was replaced by Jacques Santini. A full strength team started out strongly in UEFA Euro 2004, but they were upset in the quarter-finals by the eventual winners Greece
. Santini resigned as coach and Raymond Domenech
was picked as his replacement. France struggled in the early qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. This prompted Domenech to persuade several past members out of international retirement to help the national team qualify, which they accomplished following a convincing 4–0 win over Cyprus
on the final day of qualifying. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, France finished undefeated in the group stage portion and advanced all the way to the final defeating the likes of Spain
, Brazil, and Portugal
along the way. France took on Italy
in the final and despite controversial disruptions in extra time, France failed to get on the score-sheet and Italy 5–3 on penalties to be crowned champions of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
France started its qualifying round
for UEFA Euro 2008 strong and qualified for the tournament, despite two shocking defeats to Scotland
. France bowed out during the group stage portion of the tournament after having been placed in the group of death
. Just like the team's previous World Cup qualifying campaign, the 2010 campaign got off to a disappointing start with France suffering disastrous losses and earning uninspired victories. France eventually finished second in the group and earned a spot in the UEFA play-offs against the Republic of Ireland
for a place in South Africa
. In the first leg, France defeated the Irish 1–0 and in the second leg procured a 1–1 draw, via controversial circumstances, to qualify for the World Cup.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, France continued to perform under expectations and were eliminated in the group stage. Midway through the competition, striker
Nicolas Anelka
was dismissed from the national team after reportedly having a dispute, in which obscenities were passed, with team manager Raymond Domenech
during half-time of the team's loss to Mexico. The resulting disagreement over Anelka's seclusion between the players, the coaching staff, and federation officials resulted in the team boycotting training. The negative publicity the national team received during the competition led to further repercussions back in France. The day after the team's elimination, it was reported by numerous media outlets that the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
would meet with team captain Thierry Henry
to discuss the issues associated with the team's meltdown at the World Cup. The meeting was requested by Henry. Following the completion of the competition, federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
resigned from his position. Domenech was also let go and former international Laurent Blanc
was inserted as his replacement. On 23 July 2010, on the request of Blanc, the federation suspended all 23 players in the World Cup squad for the team's friendly match after the World Cup against Norway
. On 6 August, five players who were deemed to have played a major role in the 2010 FIFA World Cup training boycott were disciplined for their roles.
alternated between the Parc des Princes
in Paris and the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
in Colombes
. France also hosted matches at the Stade Pershing
, Stade de Paris
, and the Stade Buffalo
, but to a minimal degree. As the years moved forward, France began hosting matches outside the city of Paris at such venues as the Stade Marcel Saupin
in Nantes
, the Stade Vélodrome
in Marseille
, the Stade de Gerland in Lyon
, and the Stade de la Meinau
in Strasbourg
, to name a few. Following the renovation of the Parc des Princes in 1972, which made the stadium the largest in terms of capacity in Paris, France moved into the venue permanently. The team still hosted friendly matches and minor FIFA World Cup
and UEFA European Football Championship
qualification matches at other venues.
In 1998, the Stade de France
was inaugurated as France's national stadium ahead of the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. Located in Saint-Denis
, a Parisian suburb, the stadium has an all-seater capacity of 81,338. France's first match at the stadium was played on 28 January 1998 against Spain
. France won the match 1–0, with Zinedine Zidane scoring the lone goal. Since that match, France has used the stadium for almost every major home game.
Prior to matches, home or away, the national team train and situate at the Clairefontaine
academy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
. Clairefontaine is the national association football centre and is among twelve élite academies throughout the country. The center was inaugurated in 1976 by former federation president Fernand Sastre
and opened in 1988. The center drew media spotlight following its usage as a base camp by the team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup
.
, who control the country's main national TV channel, TF1
. The current agreement was set to expire following the 2010 FIFA World Cup
. On 18 December 2009, the Federal Council
of the French Football Federation agreed to extend its exclusive broadcasting agreement with the channel. The new deal grants the channel exclusive broadcast rights for the matches of national team, which include friendlies and international games for the next four seasons beginning in August 2010 and ending in June 2014. TF1 will also have extended rights, notably on the Internet, and may also broadcast images of the national team in its weekly program, Téléfoot
. The federation will receive €45 million a season, a €10 million decrease from the €55 million they received from the previous agreement reached in 2006.
The France national team utilizes a three colour system, composed of colors blue, white and red. The team's three colors originate from the national flag of France
, known as the drapeau tricolore. France have brandished the colors since their first official international match against Belgium in 1904. Since the team's inception, France normally wear blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks at home, while, when on the road, the team utilizes an all-white combination or wear red shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks with the former being the most current. Between the years 1909–1914, France wore a white shirt with blue stripes, white shorts, and red socks. In a 1978 World Cup
match against Hungary
in Mar del Plata
, both teams arrived at Estadio José María Minella
with white kits, so France played in green-and-white striped shirts borrowed from Club Atlético Kimberley.
Beginning in 1972, France reached an agreement with German sports apparel manufacturer Adidas
to be the team's kit
provider. Over the next 38 years, the two would maintain a healthy relationship with France winning UEFA Euro 1984, the 1998 FIFA World Cup
, and UEFA Euro 2000 while wearing the brand's famous tricolour three stripes. On 22 February 2008, the French Football Federation
announced that they were ending their partnership with Adidas and signing with the American manufacturer Nike
, effective 1 January 2011. The unprecedented deal is valued at €320 million over seven years (2011–2018) making France's blue shirt the most expensive ever in the history of football.
. Led by coach Michel Hidalgo, France exhibited an inspiring, elegant, skillful, and technically advanced offensive style of football, which was strikingly similar to their South American counterparts
.
of the country. The first black player to play in the national team was Raoul Diagne
in 1931. Diagne was the son of the first African elected to the French National Assembly, Blaise Diagne
. Seven years later, Diagne played on the 1938 FIFA World Cup
team that featured Larbi Benbarek
, Abdelkader Ben Bouali
, and Michel Brusseaux
, who were the first players of North African descent to play for the national team. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup
, in which France reached the semi-finals, many sons of immigrants such as Raymond Kopa
, Just Fontaine
, Roger Piantoni
, Maryan Wisnieski and Bernard Chiarelli were integral to the team's success. The tradition has since continued with successful French players such as Michel Platini
, Jean Tigana
, Manuel Amoros
, Eric Cantona
, Patrick Vieira
, David Trezeguet
, Claude Makélélé
, Samir Nasri
, Hatem Ben Arfa
, and Karim Benzema
all having either one or both of their parents foreign-born.
During the 1990s, the team was widely celebrated as an example of the modern multicultural
French ideal. The 1998 FIFA World Cup
-winning team was celebrated and praised for inspiring pride and optimism about the prospects for the "French model" of social integration
. Of the 23 players on the team, the squad featured players who could trace their origins to Armenia, Algeria, Guadeloupe
, New Caledonia
, Argentina, Ghana, Senegal, Italy, French Guyana, Portugal, Spain, Martinique
and the Basque Country
with the patriarch
of the team being Zinédine Zidane
, who was born in Marseille
to Algerian immigrants.
The multiracial makeup of the team has, at times, provoked controversy. In recent years, critics on the far right of the French political spectrum
have taken issue with the proportional under-representation of ethnic white Frenchmen within the team. National Front politician Jean-Marie Le Pen
protested in 1998 that the Black, Blanc, Beur
team that won the World Cup did not look sufficiently French. In 2002, led by Ghanaian-born Marcel Desailly
, the French team unanimously and publicly appealed to the French voting public to reject the presidential candidacy of Le Pen and, instead, return President Jacques Chirac
to office. In 2006, Le Pen resumed his criticism charging that coach Raymond Domenech
had selected too many black players. In 2005, French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut
caused controversy by remarking to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that despite its earlier slogan, "the French national team is in fact black-black-black," and also adding that "France is made fun of all around Europe because of that." He later excused himself from the comments declaring that they were not meant to be offensive.
The Zidane-Materazzi headbutt incident in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final
and its aftermath served as a symbol for the larger issue of Europe's struggle to integrate its immigrant population. Even though both players denied racism was involved in the exchange, the international media speculated for days about the presence of a racist element in the provocation from Materazzi observing that the Italian team
contained no ethnic minorities.
The national team's overall impact on France's efforts to integrate its minorities and come to terms with its colonial past has been mixed. In 2001, France played a friendly match at the Stade de France
, site of its 1998 World Cup triumph, against Algeria
. It was the country's first meeting with its former colony, with whom it had fought a war from 1954–1962, and it proved controversial. France's national anthem, La Marseillaise
, was booed by Algerian supporters before the game, and following a French goal that made the score 4–1 in the second half, spectators ran onto the field of play, which caused play to be suspended. It was never resumed.
On 28 April 2011, French investigative website Mediapart released a story which claimed that the French Football Federation
had been attempting to secretly put in place a race-quota system in order to limit the number of dual-citizenship players in its national academies. Quoting a senior figure in the FFF, the organisation was said to have wanted to set a cap of 30% on the number of players of non-white origin by limiting places in the academies in the 12–13 age bracket. The FFF responded by releasing a public statement on its website denying the report stating "none of its elected bodies has been validated, or even contemplated a policy of quotas for the recruitment of its training centers". The federation also announced that it has authorized a full investigation into the matter and, as a result, suspended National Technical Director François Blaquart pending the outcome of the investigation.
On 29 April, national team manager Laurent Blanc, who, in the report, was claimed to have agreed with the decision to implement the quotas, held a personal press conference at the l'Hôtel Le Régent in Bordeaux
, in which he also denied the report declaring that he had "not heard of such a project". On the following day, after Mediapart announced that it had a taped audio recording of the November 2010 meeting, Blanc released a statement on the FFF's website in which he apologized for possible offending comments he made during the meeting, while also declaring he was misquoted and denying he was racist stating "I do not withdraw the remarks I made yesterday. I admit that some terms used during a meeting on a sensitive subject can be ambiguous, out of context, and, if in my case, I've hurt some feelings, I apologize. But being suspected of racism or xenophobia, which I am against all forms of discrimination, I do not support it".
Former national team player Lilian Thuram
said of the allegations, "Initially I thought this was a joke. I'm so stunned I don't know what to say", while Patrick Vieira
declared that the comments Blanc allegedly made at the meeting made were "serious and scandalous". The French government also gave opinions on the matter. President Nicolas Sarkozy
was quoted as being "viscerally opposed to any form of quota", while adding "setting quotas would be the end of the Republic". National Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno echoed the president's sentiments, while also demanding that the FFF "shed light" on a report. Blanc was defended by several former players, most notably his 1998 FIFA World Cup
-winning teammates Christophe Dugarry, Bixente Lizarazu
, Didier Deschamps
, Zinedine Zidane
, Marcel Desailly
, and Emmanuel Petit
, current players, such as current national team captain Alou Diarra
, and external sources, which included Pathé Diba, the president of L’Association Soutien aux Handicapés Africains (Association to Support the Disabled in Africa). On 9 May, Blanc gave testimony at a hearing set up by the federation to investigate the quota matter. The next day, the federation cleared him of any wrongdoing.
and Belgium that was played on 11 and 15 November 2011, respectively. Defender Éric Abidal
was not available for the match against the United States after an agreement was reached between Laurent Blanc
and Abidal's domestic club manager Josep Guardiola
to allow the player to participate in the team's Copa del Rey
match against L'Hospitalet on 9 November. On 8 November, Samir Nasri
withdrew from the team after his medical examination upon arrival to camp revealed an injury which would prevent the player from playing in the two friendly matches. Nasri's spot in the team was given to first-time call-up Maxime Gonalons
.
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UEFA European Championships squads
Confederations Cup squads
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
Last updated: 15 November 2011
Source: French Football Federation
and have appeared in 13 FIFA World Cups, tied for fifth-best. The national team is one of eight national teams to have won at least one FIFA World Cup
title. The France team won their first and only World Cup title in 1998
. The tournament was played on home soil and France defeated Brazil
3–0 in the final match. In 2006
, France finished as runners-up losing 5–3 on penalties to Italy
. The team has also finished in third place on two occasions in 1958
and 1986
and in fourth place once in 1982
. The team's worst result in the competition was a first-round elimination in 2002
and 2010
. In 2002, the team suffered an unexpected loss to Senegal
and departed the tournament without scoring a goal, while in 2010, France suffered defeats to Mexico
and South Africa
and earned a point from a draw with Uruguay
.
having won two titles in 1984 and 2000. The team is tied with Spain
and only trails Germany who have won three titles. France hosted the inaugural competition in 1960 and have appeared in seven UEFA European Championship tournament, tied for fourth-best. The team won their first title on home soil in 1984 and were led by Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini
. In 2000, the team, led by FIFA World Player of the Year
Zinedine Zidane, won its second title in Belgium and the Netherlands. The team's worst result in the competition was a first-round elimination in 1992 and 2008.
s contested and won the competition on both appearances. The team's two titles place in second place only trailing Brazil
who have won three. France won their first Confederations Cup in 2001
having appeared in the competition as a result of winning the FIFA World Cup in 1998 . The team defeated Japan
1–0 in the final match. In the following Confederations Cup in 2003
, France, appearing in the competition due to winning UEFA Euro 2000 and because of their duties as host, won the competition beating Cameroon
1–0 after extra time.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in international
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
, the governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
of football in France
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
, and competes as a member of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, which encompasses the countries of Europe. The national team's traditional colours are blue, white and red, the colors of the national flag of France
Flag of France
The national flag of France is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured royal blue , white, and red...
, known as the drapeau tricolore, and the coq gaulois
Gallic rooster
The Gallic rooster is an unofficial national symbol of France as a nation .-France:...
is the symbol of the team. France is colloquially known as Les Bleus (The Blues), which is the name associated with all of the country's sporting national teams, due to the blue shirts each team incorporates.
France played its first official match in 1904, and today primarily plays its home matches at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
, a suburb of Paris. The national team has won one FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
title, two UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
s, an Olympic tournament
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
, and two FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
s. Following France's 2001 Confederations Cup
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
victory, they became, along with Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, the only national teams to win the three most important men's titles organized by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. France has a strong rivalry with neighbours Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, and has historically also had important rivalries with Belgium, Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
The national team has experienced much of its success during three major "golden generation
Golden Generation
In sport, a golden generation is an exceptionally gifted group of players of similar age, whose achievements reach or are expected to reach a level of success beyond that which their team had previously achieved...
s": in the 1950s, 1980s, and 1990s, which resulted in numerous major honours. France was one of the four European teams that participated in the inaugural World Cup in 1930
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
and, although having been eliminated in the qualification stage six times, is one of only three teams that have entered every World Cup cycle. In 1958, the team, led by Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa , is a former French football offensive midfielder, integral to the French national team of the 1950s....
and Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
, finished in third place at the FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
. In 1984, France, led by Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
, won UEFA Euro 1984. Under the leadership of Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, France became one of eight national teams to win the FIFA World Cup in 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
when it hosted the tournament. Two years later, the team triumphed again in UEFA Euro 2000 and became the top team in the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
for the first time. France has since added a pair of Confederations Cup titles, in 2001 and 2003, as well as an appearance in the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, which it lost 5–3 on penalties to Italy.
Following the team's disastrous 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
campaign, a major reconstruction within the federation resulted in the resignation of president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes is the former president of the French Football Federation having served in the role from 12 February 2005 to 2 July 2010. He was awarded the presidency after winning the ball with 92.56% of the vote...
and the appointment of former international Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
as manager. After dropping to 27th in the FIFA World Rankings in September 2010, its lowest ranking ever, France is currently ranked 15th.
History
The France national football team was created in 1904 around the time of FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
's foundation on 21 May 1904 and contested its first official international match on 1 May 1904 against Belgium, in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, which ended in a 3–3 draw. The following year, on 12 February 1905, France contested their first ever home match against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. The match was played at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in front of 500 supporters. France won the match 1–0 with the only goal coming from Gaston Cyprès. Due to disagreements between FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques is a former French sports governing body. During the 1890s and early 1900s it organised numerous sports including athletics, cycling, field hockey, fencing, croquet and swimming...
(USFSA), the country's sports union, France struggled to establish an identity, On 9 May 1908, the French Interfederal Committee (CFI), a rival organization to the USFSA, ruled that FIFA would now be responsible for the club's appearances in forthcoming Olympics Games and not the USFSA. In 1919, the CFI transformed themselves into the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
. In 1921, the USFSA finally merged with the French Football Federation.
In July 1930, France appeared in the inaugural FIFA World Cup
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
, held in Uruguay. In their first-ever World Cup match, France defeated Mexico 4–1 at the Estadio Pocitos
Estadio Pocitos
Estadio Pocitos was a multi-use stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, that does not exist today. This stadium was mainly used for football matches of the owner club Peñarol from 1921 to 1933...
in Montevideo. Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent
Lucien Laurent was a French association football player. He is famous for having scored the first ever FIFA World Cup goal.-Career:Laurent was born in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Val-de-Marne, near Paris....
became notable in the match as he scored not only France's first World Cup goal, but the first goal in World Cup history. France later lost 1–0 to fellow group stage opponents Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
resulting in the team bowing out in the group stage. The following year saw the first selection of a black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
player to the national team. Raoul Diagne
Raoul Diagne
Raoul Diagne was a French footballer who played defender, and who had stints as a coach after his playing career....
, who was of Senegalese descent, earned his first cap on 15 February in a 2–1 defeat to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
. Diagne later played with the team at the 1938 FIFA World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
, alongside Larbi Benbarek
Larbi Benbarek
Larbi Benbarek or Larbi Ben Barek was a Moroccan football player...
, who was one of the first players of North African origin to play for the national team. At the 1934 FIFA World Cup
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
, France suffered elimination in the opening round, losing 3–2 to Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. On the team's return to Paris, they were greeted as heroes by a crowd of over 4,000 supporters. France hosted the 1938 FIFA World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
and reached the quarter-finals losing 3–1 to the defending champions Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
.
The 1950s saw France handed its first Golden Generation
Golden Generation
In sport, a golden generation is an exceptionally gifted group of players of similar age, whose achievements reach or are expected to reach a level of success beyond that which their team had previously achieved...
composed of players such as Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
, Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa , is a former French football offensive midfielder, integral to the French national team of the 1950s....
, Jean Vincent, Robert Jonquet
Robert Jonquet
Robert Jonquet , was a French former football defender. He played the majority of his professional career for the club Stade de Reims, winning five French championships and appearing in two European Cup finals...
, Maryan Wisnieski, Thadée Cisowski
Thadée Cisowski
Thadée Cisowski , originally Tadeusz Cisowski, is a former French footballer who played striker, son of Polish immigrants like Raymond Kopa and one of the best goalscorers in Championnat de France....
, and Armand Penverne
Armand Penverne
Armand Penverne , is a French former football defender. He played the majority of his professional career for the club Stade de Reims, winning four French championships and appearing in one European Cup finals.-Honours:...
. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
, France reached the semi-finals losing to Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. In the third place match, France defeated West Germany 6–2 with Fontaine recording four goals, which brought his goal tally in the competition to 13, a World Cup record. The record still stands today. France hosted the inaugural UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
in 1960 and, for the second straight international tournament, reached the semi-finals. In the round, France faced Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
and were shocked 5–4 despite being up 4–2 heading into the 75th minute. In the third-place match, France were defeated 2–0 by the Czechoslovakians.
The 1960s and 70s saw France decline significantly playing under several different managers and failing to qualify for numerous international tournaments. On 25 April 1964, Henri Guérin was officially installed as the team's first manager. Under Guérin, France failed to qualify for the 1962 FIFA World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
and the 1964 European Nations' Cup. The team did return to major international play following qualification for the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. The team lost in the group stage portion of the tournament. Guérin was fired following the World Cup. He was replaced by José Arribas and Jean Snella, who worked as caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
s in dual roles. The two only lasted four matches and were replaced by former international Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
, who only lasted two. Louis Dugauguez
Louis Dugauguez
Louis Dugauguez was French former footballer and football manager.-Career:Louis Dugauguez played amateur football for Bully, Béthune, Lens, Toulouse, Carvin and Sedan, where he began his coaching career as a player-coach of the side.-Coaching career:He managed Sedan and led the team to success in...
succeeded Fontaine and, following his early struggles in qualification
1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts and defending champions qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
for the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
, was fired and replaced by Georges Boulogne
Georges Boulogne
Georges Boulogne was a French football player and manager, better known for his stint as France national football team manager. He was born in Haillicourt....
, who could not get the team to the competition. Boulogne was later fired following his failure to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
and was replaced by the Romanian Stefan Kovacs, who became the first and only international manager to ever manage the national team. Kovács also turned out to be a disappointment failing to qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
and UEFA Euro 1976. After two years in charge, he was sacked and replaced with Michel Hidalgo.
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
, who, alongside Jean Tigana
Jean Tigana
Jean Amadou Tigana is a manager and former French international footballer, having played in midfield and managed professional football extensively throughout France, including 52 appearances and 1 goal for the France national football team during the 1980s.-Playing career:Tigana started his...
, Alain Giresse, and Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández is a Spanish-French footballer who played as a defender / midfielder. He retired as a player in 1993 to become a manager....
formed the "carré magique" ("Magic Square"), which would haunt opposing defenses beginning at the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, where France reached the semi-finals losing on penalties to rivals West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. The semi-final match-up is considered one of the greatest matches in World Cup history and was marred with controversy. France earned their first major international honor two years later, winning UEFA Euro 1984, which they hosted. Under the leadership of Platini, who scored a tournament-high nine goals, France defeated Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
2–0 in the final. Platini and Bruno Bellone
Bruno Bellone
Bruno Bellone is a former French international footballer who played as striker, and who earned 34 caps and scored 2 goals for the France national football team from 1981 to 1988. One of the goals was in the final of the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship, where France defeated Spain 2–0 in...
scored the goals. Following the Euro triumph, Hidalgo departed the team and was replaced by former international Henri Michel
Henri Michel
-External links:...
. France later completed the hat-trick when they won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
football tournament
Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics started on July 29 and ended on August 11. It featured only a men's tournament, as women's football had yet to become an Olympic event. It was the first Olympic football competition in which professionals were allowed...
and, a year later, defeated Uruguay 2–0 to win the Artemio Franchi Trophy
Artemio Franchi Trophy
The Artemio Franchi Trophy was a competition held twice between the champions of the European Football Championship and the Copa América...
, an early precursor to the FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
. In a span of a year, France were holders of three of the four major international trophies. At the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, France were favorites to win the competition, and, for the second consecutive World Cup, reached the semi-finals where they faced West Germany. Again, however, they lost. A 4–2 victory over Belgium gave France third place.
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
opened the Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
National Football Institute. Its opening ceremony was attended by then-President of France, François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
. Five months after Clairefontaine's opening, manager Henri Michel
Henri Michel
-External links:...
was fired
and was replaced by Michel Platini, who failed to get the team to the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. Platini did lead the team to UEFA Euro 1992 and, despite going on a 19-match unbeaten streak prior to the competition, suffered elimination in the group stage. A week after the completion of the tournament, Platini stepped down as manager and was replaced by his assistant Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
. Under Houllier, France and its supporters experienced a heartbreaking meltdown after having qualification to the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
all but secured with two matches to go, which were against last place Israel
Israel national football team
The Israel national football team is the national football team of Israel, controlled by the Israel Football Association .Israel National Football is the direct successor of the Eretz Yisrael National Team during British Mandate...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
. In the match against Israel, France were upset 3–2 and, in the Bulgaria match, suffered an astronomical 2–1 defeat. The subsequent blame and public outcry to the firing of Houllier and departure of several players from the national team fold. His assistant Aimé Jacquet
Aimé Jacquet
Aimé Étienne Jacquet is a French football coach and former player, and manager of the France national football team when they won the 1998 FIFA World Cup.-Biography:...
was given his post.
Under Jacquet, the national team experienced its triumphant years. The squad composed of veterans that failed to reach the 1994 FIFA World Cup were joined by influential youngsters. The team started off well reaching the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1996 where they lost 6–5 on penalties to the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
. In the team's next major tournament at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, Jacquet led France to glory defeating Brazil 3–0 in the final at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. Jacquet stepped down after the country's World Cup triumph and was succeeded by assistant Roger Lemerre who guided them through UEFA Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
. Led by FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
Zidane, France defeated Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
2–1 in the final. Trezeguet scored the golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
in extra time. The victory gave the team the distinction of being the first national team to hold both the World Cup and Euro titles since West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
did so in 1974, and it was also the first time that a reigning World Cup winner went on to capture the Euro. Following the result, France were inserted to the number one spot in the FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
.
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
, France suffered a stunning goalless first round elimination at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
. One of the greatest shocks in World Cup history saw France condemned to a 1–0 defeat to debutantes Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
in the opening game of the tournament. After France finished bottom of the group, Lemerre was dismissed and was replaced by Jacques Santini. A full strength team started out strongly in UEFA Euro 2004, but they were upset in the quarter-finals by the eventual winners Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
. Santini resigned as coach and Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
was picked as his replacement. France struggled in the early qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. This prompted Domenech to persuade several past members out of international retirement to help the national team qualify, which they accomplished following a convincing 4–0 win over Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
on the final day of qualifying. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, France finished undefeated in the group stage portion and advanced all the way to the final defeating the likes of Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, Brazil, and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
along the way. France took on Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in the final and despite controversial disruptions in extra time, France failed to get on the score-sheet and Italy 5–3 on penalties to be crowned champions of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
France started its qualifying round
2008 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying Group B
-Standings:Key:*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.Notes on the qualified teams:*Italy and France secured qualification to the tournament proper on 2007-11-17 following Italy's 2-1 win against Scotland, becoming the fifth and sixth teams in the whole of the qualification stage to...
for UEFA Euro 2008 strong and qualified for the tournament, despite two shocking defeats to Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. France bowed out during the group stage portion of the tournament after having been placed in the group of death
Group of death
A group of death in a multi-stage tournament is a group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament...
. Just like the team's previous World Cup qualifying campaign, the 2010 campaign got off to a disappointing start with France suffering disastrous losses and earning uninspired victories. France eventually finished second in the group and earned a spot in the UEFA play-offs against the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
for a place in South Africa
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. In the first leg, France defeated the Irish 1–0 and in the second leg procured a 1–1 draw, via controversial circumstances, to qualify for the World Cup.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, France continued to perform under expectations and were eliminated in the group stage. Midway through the competition, striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
was dismissed from the national team after reportedly having a dispute, in which obscenities were passed, with team manager Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
during half-time of the team's loss to Mexico. The resulting disagreement over Anelka's seclusion between the players, the coaching staff, and federation officials resulted in the team boycotting training. The negative publicity the national team received during the competition led to further repercussions back in France. The day after the team's elimination, it was reported by numerous media outlets that the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
would meet with team captain Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
to discuss the issues associated with the team's meltdown at the World Cup. The meeting was requested by Henry. Following the completion of the competition, federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes is the former president of the French Football Federation having served in the role from 12 February 2005 to 2 July 2010. He was awarded the presidency after winning the ball with 92.56% of the vote...
resigned from his position. Domenech was also let go and former international Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
was inserted as his replacement. On 23 July 2010, on the request of Blanc, the federation suspended all 23 players in the World Cup squad for the team's friendly match after the World Cup against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
. On 6 August, five players who were deemed to have played a major role in the 2010 FIFA World Cup training boycott were disciplined for their roles.
Home stadium
During France's early run of existence, the team's national stadiumNational stadium
Many countries have a national football stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadium. Usually, a national stadium will be in or very...
alternated between the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris and the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
in Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
. France also hosted matches at the Stade Pershing
Stade Pershing
Stade Pershing was a multi-purpose stadium in Vincennes, France. It was used mostly for football matches and hosted the final of the Coupe de France on four occasions. It also hosted some of the football and rugby matches during the 1924 Summer Olympics. The stadium was able to hold 29,000...
, Stade de Paris
Stade de Paris
The Stade de Paris is a 10,000-capacity football stadium in Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris...
, and the Stade Buffalo
Vélodrome Buffalo
The Vélodrome Buffalo and Stade Buffalo were cycling tracks in Paris. The first existed from 1893 until World War I, the second from 1922 until 1957....
, but to a minimal degree. As the years moved forward, France began hosting matches outside the city of Paris at such venues as the Stade Marcel Saupin
Stade Marcel Saupin
The Stade Marcel-Saupin is a sports complex in the city of Nantes , France. It was opened in 1937 under the name Stade Malakoff, and was used primarily by the rugby union Stade nantais université club, then became the stadium of FC Nantes after World War II until the club moved to the Stade de la...
in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
, the Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, the Stade de Gerland in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, and the Stade de la Meinau
Stade de la Meinau
The Stade de la Meinau, commonly known as "La Meinau" is a football stadium in Strasbourg, France. It is the home ground of RC Strasbourg and has also hosted international matches, including one game of World cup 1938, two games of Euro 1984 and the final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1988. La Meinau...
in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, to name a few. Following the renovation of the Parc des Princes in 1972, which made the stadium the largest in terms of capacity in Paris, France moved into the venue permanently. The team still hosted friendly matches and minor FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
qualification matches at other venues.
In 1998, the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
was inaugurated as France's national stadium ahead of the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. Located in Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
, a Parisian suburb, the stadium has an all-seater capacity of 81,338. France's first match at the stadium was played on 28 January 1998 against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. France won the match 1–0, with Zinedine Zidane scoring the lone goal. Since that match, France has used the stadium for almost every major home game.
Prior to matches, home or away, the national team train and situate at the Clairefontaine
Clairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
academy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*...
. Clairefontaine is the national association football centre and is among twelve élite academies throughout the country. The center was inaugurated in 1976 by former federation president Fernand Sastre
Fernand Sastre
Fernand Sastre was a French football official who was President of the French Football Federation from 1972 to 1984.The Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, better known as Clairefontaine, is named after him....
and opened in 1988. The center drew media spotlight following its usage as a base camp by the team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
.
Media coverage
The national team currently has a broadcasting agreement with TF1 GroupTF1 Group
TF1 Group is a French media holding company , the owner of channel TF1, the largest European private TV channel, and Eurosport, the largest European sports network.The group was formed after TF1 was privatised in 1987...
, who control the country's main national TV channel, TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
. The current agreement was set to expire following the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. On 18 December 2009, the Federal Council
Federal Council
-Governmental bodies:* Federal Council of Australasia, a forerunner to the current Commonwealth of Australia* Federal Council of Austria, the upper house of the Austrian federal parliament...
of the French Football Federation agreed to extend its exclusive broadcasting agreement with the channel. The new deal grants the channel exclusive broadcast rights for the matches of national team, which include friendlies and international games for the next four seasons beginning in August 2010 and ending in June 2014. TF1 will also have extended rights, notably on the Internet, and may also broadcast images of the national team in its weekly program, Téléfoot
Téléfoot
Téléfoot is a French football programme created by Pierre Cangioni and produced by TF1 Production for TF1.-External links:* *...
. The federation will receive €45 million a season, a €10 million decrease from the €55 million they received from the previous agreement reached in 2006.
Kit
Flag of France
The national flag of France is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured royal blue , white, and red...
, known as the drapeau tricolore. France have brandished the colors since their first official international match against Belgium in 1904. Since the team's inception, France normally wear blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks at home, while, when on the road, the team utilizes an all-white combination or wear red shirts, blue shorts, and blue socks with the former being the most current. Between the years 1909–1914, France wore a white shirt with blue stripes, white shorts, and red socks. In a 1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
match against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, both teams arrived at Estadio José María Minella
Estadio José Maria Minella
The Estadio José María Minella is a stadium in Mar del Plata, Argentina.The stadium was built for the 1978 World Cup. It has capacity for 35,354 spectators, although some of the capacity is standing only, like many Argentine stadiums....
with white kits, so France played in green-and-white striped shirts borrowed from Club Atlético Kimberley.
Beginning in 1972, France reached an agreement with German sports apparel manufacturer Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
to be the team's kit
Kit (football)
In association football, as in a number of sports, kit refers to the standard equipment and attire worn by players. The term "kit" should be distinguished from a "strip" , which refers to just the shirt, shorts and socks, although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably...
provider. Over the next 38 years, the two would maintain a healthy relationship with France winning UEFA Euro 1984, the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, and UEFA Euro 2000 while wearing the brand's famous tricolour three stripes. On 22 February 2008, the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
announced that they were ending their partnership with Adidas and signing with the American manufacturer Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, effective 1 January 2011. The unprecedented deal is valued at €320 million over seven years (2011–2018) making France's blue shirt the most expensive ever in the history of football.
Nickname
France is often referred to by the media and supporters as Les Bleus (The Blues), which is the nickname associated with all of France's international sporting teams due to the blue shirts each team incorporates. The team is also referred to as Les Tricolores or L'Equipe Tricolore (The Tri-color Team) due to the team's utilization of the country's national colors: red, blue, and white. During the 1980s, France earned the nickname the "Brazilians of Europe" mainly due to the accolades of the "carré magique" ("Magic Square"), who were anchored by Michel PlatiniMichel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
. Led by coach Michel Hidalgo, France exhibited an inspiring, elegant, skillful, and technically advanced offensive style of football, which was strikingly similar to their South American counterparts
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
Representing multi-ethnic France
The France national team has long reflected the ethnic diversityCultural diversity
Cultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences. It could also mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole...
of the country. The first black player to play in the national team was Raoul Diagne
Raoul Diagne
Raoul Diagne was a French footballer who played defender, and who had stints as a coach after his playing career....
in 1931. Diagne was the son of the first African elected to the French National Assembly, Blaise Diagne
Blaise Diagne
Blaise Diagne was a French political leader, the first black African elected to the French National Assembly, and mayor of Dakar.- Background :...
. Seven years later, Diagne played on the 1938 FIFA World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
team that featured Larbi Benbarek
Larbi Benbarek
Larbi Benbarek or Larbi Ben Barek was a Moroccan football player...
, Abdelkader Ben Bouali
Abdelkader Ben Bouali
Abdelkader Ben Bouali was a professional French footballer.-References:* *...
, and Michel Brusseaux
Michel Brusseaux
Michel Brusseaux was a former professional French association footballer. He was born in Oran.-References:* * *...
, who were the first players of North African descent to play for the national team. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
, in which France reached the semi-finals, many sons of immigrants such as Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa , is a former French football offensive midfielder, integral to the French national team of the 1950s....
, Just Fontaine
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958...
, Roger Piantoni
Roger Piantoni
Roger Piantoni is a former French international footballer.-Honors:* 3rd place at the 1958 FIFA World Cup with France.* Finalist of the European Champions Cup in 1959 with Reims....
, Maryan Wisnieski and Bernard Chiarelli were integral to the team's success. The tradition has since continued with successful French players such as Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
, Jean Tigana
Jean Tigana
Jean Amadou Tigana is a manager and former French international footballer, having played in midfield and managed professional football extensively throughout France, including 52 appearances and 1 goal for the France national football team during the 1980s.-Playing career:Tigana started his...
, Manuel Amoros
Manuel Amoros
Manuel Amoros is a retired football defender from France with Valencian ancestry. He was capped 82 times for the France national football team, and played in the Euro Cup finals of 1984 and 1992, and the World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986.Amoros played most of his career for AS Monaco in the...
, Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
, Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
, David Trezeguet
David Trézéguet
David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
, Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélelé Sinda is a retired football player who used to play as a defensive midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea...
, Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
, Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa is a French association football player who plays for English club Newcastle United in the Premier League. He plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and an attacking midfielder...
, and Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...
all having either one or both of their parents foreign-born.
During the 1990s, the team was widely celebrated as an example of the modern multicultural
Demographics of France
This article is about the demographic features of the population of France, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects....
French ideal. The 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
-winning team was celebrated and praised for inspiring pride and optimism about the prospects for the "French model" of social integration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
. Of the 23 players on the team, the squad featured players who could trace their origins to Armenia, Algeria, Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, Argentina, Ghana, Senegal, Italy, French Guyana, Portugal, Spain, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and the Basque Country
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
with the patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of the team being Zinédine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, who was born in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
to Algerian immigrants.
The multiracial makeup of the team has, at times, provoked controversy. In recent years, critics on the far right of the French political spectrum
Far right leagues
The Far right leagues were several French far right movements opposed to parliamentarism, which mainly dedicated themselves to military parades, street brawls, demonstrations and riots. The term ligue was often used in the 1930s to distinguish these political movements from parliamentary parties...
have taken issue with the proportional under-representation of ethnic white Frenchmen within the team. National Front politician Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
protested in 1998 that the Black, Blanc, Beur
Beur
Beur is a colloquial term to designate French-born people whose parents are immigrants from North Africa. The word was coined by reversing the syllables of the word arabe, which means Arabic or Arab in French. For example, "arabe" becomes "a-ra-beu" then "beu-ra-a" and "beur" by contraction. The...
team that won the World Cup did not look sufficiently French. In 2002, led by Ghanaian-born Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
, the French team unanimously and publicly appealed to the French voting public to reject the presidential candidacy of Le Pen and, instead, return President Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
to office. In 2006, Le Pen resumed his criticism charging that coach Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
had selected too many black players. In 2005, French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut
Alain Finkielkraut
Alain Finkielkraut is a French essayist, and son of a Jewish-Polish manufacturer of fine leather goods who had been deported to Auschwitz and survived. He currently teaches at the École polytechnique as professor of the "history of ideas and modernity" in the department of humanities and social...
caused controversy by remarking to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that despite its earlier slogan, "the French national team is in fact black-black-black," and also adding that "France is made fun of all around Europe because of that." He later excused himself from the comments declaring that they were not meant to be offensive.
The Zidane-Materazzi headbutt incident in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
and its aftermath served as a symbol for the larger issue of Europe's struggle to integrate its immigrant population. Even though both players denied racism was involved in the exchange, the international media speculated for days about the presence of a racist element in the provocation from Materazzi observing that the Italian team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
contained no ethnic minorities.
The national team's overall impact on France's efforts to integrate its minorities and come to terms with its colonial past has been mixed. In 2001, France played a friendly match at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
, site of its 1998 World Cup triumph, against Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
. It was the country's first meeting with its former colony, with whom it had fought a war from 1954–1962, and it proved controversial. France's national anthem, La Marseillaise
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
, was booed by Algerian supporters before the game, and following a French goal that made the score 4–1 in the second half, spectators ran onto the field of play, which caused play to be suspended. It was never resumed.
On 28 April 2011, French investigative website Mediapart released a story which claimed that the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
had been attempting to secretly put in place a race-quota system in order to limit the number of dual-citizenship players in its national academies. Quoting a senior figure in the FFF, the organisation was said to have wanted to set a cap of 30% on the number of players of non-white origin by limiting places in the academies in the 12–13 age bracket. The FFF responded by releasing a public statement on its website denying the report stating "none of its elected bodies has been validated, or even contemplated a policy of quotas for the recruitment of its training centers". The federation also announced that it has authorized a full investigation into the matter and, as a result, suspended National Technical Director François Blaquart pending the outcome of the investigation.
On 29 April, national team manager Laurent Blanc, who, in the report, was claimed to have agreed with the decision to implement the quotas, held a personal press conference at the l'Hôtel Le Régent in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, in which he also denied the report declaring that he had "not heard of such a project". On the following day, after Mediapart announced that it had a taped audio recording of the November 2010 meeting, Blanc released a statement on the FFF's website in which he apologized for possible offending comments he made during the meeting, while also declaring he was misquoted and denying he was racist stating "I do not withdraw the remarks I made yesterday. I admit that some terms used during a meeting on a sensitive subject can be ambiguous, out of context, and, if in my case, I've hurt some feelings, I apologize. But being suspected of racism or xenophobia, which I am against all forms of discrimination, I do not support it".
Former national team player Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both...
said of the allegations, "Initially I thought this was a joke. I'm so stunned I don't know what to say", while Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
declared that the comments Blanc allegedly made at the meeting made were "serious and scandalous". The French government also gave opinions on the matter. President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
was quoted as being "viscerally opposed to any form of quota", while adding "setting quotas would be the end of the Republic". National Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno echoed the president's sentiments, while also demanding that the FFF "shed light" on a report. Blanc was defended by several former players, most notably his 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
-winning teammates Christophe Dugarry, Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
, Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
, Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
, Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
, and Emmanuel Petit
Emmanuel Petit
Emmanuel "Manu" Laurent Petit is a retired French footballer, who played his club football for Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea...
, current players, such as current national team captain Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also deputized as a centre back if necessary...
, and external sources, which included Pathé Diba, the president of L’Association Soutien aux Handicapés Africains (Association to Support the Disabled in Africa). On 9 May, Blanc gave testimony at a hearing set up by the federation to investigate the quota matter. The next day, the federation cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Coaching staff
- As of 1 July 2010.
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | Laurent Blanc Laurent Blanc Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux... |
|
| Assistant manager | Jean-Louis Gasset Jean-Louis Gasset Jean-Louis Gasset is a French football manager and former midfielder. He is currently an assistant coach for the France national team.Gasset played his whole career with Montpellier HSC.... |
|
| Assistant manager | Alain Boghossian Alain Boghossian Alain Boghossian is a retired French-Armenian football player and now assistant coach for the French national team.-Club career:... |
|
| Goalkeeper coach | Franck Raviot | |
| Fitness coach | Philippe Lambert | |
| Doctor | Fabrice Bryand | |
| Kinesiotherapy | Alain Soultanian | |
| Kinesiotherapy | François Darras | |
| Kinesiotherapy | Jacques Thébault | |
| Managing Director | Marino Faccioli |
Players
For France national team players with at least 20 appearances, see here. For a complete list of French international with a Wikipedia article, see here.Current squad
The following players were called up to participate in friendly matches against the United StatesUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and Belgium that was played on 11 and 15 November 2011, respectively. Defender Éric Abidal
Éric Abidal
Éric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:...
was not available for the match against the United States after an agreement was reached between Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
and Abidal's domestic club manager Josep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
to allow the player to participate in the team's Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
match against L'Hospitalet on 9 November. On 8 November, Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
withdrew from the team after his medical examination upon arrival to camp revealed an injury which would prevent the player from playing in the two friendly matches. Nasri's spot in the team was given to first-time call-up Maxime Gonalons
Maxime Gonalons
Maxime Gonalons is a French football player who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. A graduate of the Olympique Lyonnais youth academy, he plays as a defensive midfielder.- Youth career :...
.
- Caps and goals as of 15 November 2011, after the match against Belgium.
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Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for France within the past 12 months. Players that have retired from the national team and are not available for selection anymore are not displayed.|-
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Previous squads
FIFA World Cup squads- 2010 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 2006 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 2002 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1998 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1986 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1982 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1978 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1966 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1958 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1954 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1938 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1934 FIFA World Cup squads – France
- 1930 FIFA World Cup squads – France
UEFA European Championships squads
- 2008 European Football Championship squads – France
- 2004 European Football Championship squads – France
- 2000 European Football Championship squads – France
- 1996 European Football Championship squads – France
- 1992 European Football Championship squads – France
- 1984 European Football Championship squads – France
- 1960 European Nations' Cup squads – France
Confederations Cup squads
- 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup squads – France
- 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup squads – France
Results
FriendlyUEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
Friendly
Last updated: 15 November 2011
Source: French Football Federation
Competitive record
- For single-match results of the national team, see French football single-season articles and the team's results pageFrance national football team results (1904–20)This is a list of the France national football team results from 1904 to 1920.- 1904 :- 1905 :- 1906 :- 1907 :- 1908 :- 1909 :- 1910 :- 1911 :- 1912 :- 1913 :- 1914 :- 1919 :- 1920 :...
.
FIFA World Cup record
France was one of the four European teams that participated at the inaugural World Cup in 19301930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
and have appeared in 13 FIFA World Cups, tied for fifth-best. The national team is one of eight national teams to have won at least one FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
title. The France team won their first and only World Cup title in 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. The tournament was played on home soil and France defeated Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
3–0 in the final match. In 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, France finished as runners-up losing 5–3 on penalties to Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. The team has also finished in third place on two occasions in 1958
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
and 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and in fourth place once in 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
. The team's worst result in the competition was a first-round elimination in 2002
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. In 2002, the team suffered an unexpected loss to Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
and departed the tournament without scoring a goal, while in 2010, France suffered defeats to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
and earned a point from a draw with Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
.
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 19301930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Group Stage | 7th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
First round | 9th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Quarter-Final | 6th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
Group Stage | 11th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
Third Place | 3rd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 15 |
 19621962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19661966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
Group Stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
 19701970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19741974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
||||||||
 19781978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
Group Stage | 12th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
 19821982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Fourth Place | 4th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 12 |
| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
Third Place | 3rd | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 6 |
 19901990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
||||||||
| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Champions 1998 FIFA World Cup Final The 1998 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that was played on 12 July 1998 at the Stade de France in St-Denis to determine the winner of the 1998 FIFA World Cup a global football tournament held every four years... |
1st | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Group Stage | 28 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 20062006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Runners-Up 2006 FIFA World Cup Final The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time... |
2nd | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
 20102010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Group Stage | 29 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
 20142014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.... |
||||||||
 20182018 FIFA World Cup The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was... |
||||||||
 20222022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve... |
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| Total | 13/19 | 1 Title | 54 | 25 | 11 | 18 | 96 | 68 |
UEFA European Championship record
France is one of the most successful nations at the UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
having won two titles in 1984 and 2000. The team is tied with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and only trails Germany who have won three titles. France hosted the inaugural competition in 1960 and have appeared in seven UEFA European Championship tournament, tied for fourth-best. The team won their first title on home soil in 1984 and were led by Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
. In 2000, the team, led by FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
Zinedine Zidane, won its second title in Belgium and the Netherlands. The team's worst result in the competition was a first-round elimination in 1992 and 2008.
| UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current... |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1960 |
Fourth Place | 4th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
 1964 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1968 |
||||||||
 1972 |
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 1976 |
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| 1980 |
||||||||
| 1984 |
Champions UEFA Euro 1984 Final The final of UEFA Euro 1984 was a football match played on 27 June 1984 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 1984... |
1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 1988 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1992 |
Group Stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1996 |
Semi-Final | 4th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
 2000 |
Champions UEFA Euro 2000 Final The final of UEFA Euro 2000 was a football match played on 2 July 2000 at Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to determine the winner of UEFA Euro 2000... |
1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 |
 2004 |
Quarter-Final | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 |
 2008 |
Group Stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
  2012 |
Qualified | |||||||
| 2016 UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010... |
Hosts | |||||||
| Total | 7/13 | 2 Titles | 28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 46 | 34 |
FIFA Confederations Cup record
France have appeared in two of the five FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
s contested and won the competition on both appearances. The team's two titles place in second place only trailing Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
who have won three. France won their first Confederations Cup in 2001
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
having appeared in the competition as a result of winning the FIFA World Cup in 1998 . The team defeated Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
1–0 in the final match. In the following Confederations Cup in 2003
2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
, France, appearing in the competition due to winning UEFA Euro 2000 and because of their duties as host, won the competition beating Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
1–0 after extra time.
| Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 19921992 King Fahd Cup -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Bruce Murray1 goal Alberto Acosta Ricardo Altamirano... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1995 1995 King Fahd Cup -Group B:---------Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:3 goals Luis García2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Peter Rasmussen Daniel Amokachi1 goal José Chamot Ariel Ortega Sebastián Rambert Brian Laudrup Michael Laudrup... |
||||||||
| 1997 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:7 goals Romário5 goals Vladimír Šmicer4 goals Ronaldo-References:... |
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| 1999 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:... |
Withdrew | |||||||
| 2001 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong... |
Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 2 |
| 2003 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's... |
Champions | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| 2005 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup -Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2009 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park... |
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| 2013 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in Brazil in 2013, as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is expected to be held from 15–30 June 2013... |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 2/7 | 2 Titles | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 5 |
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- Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
- Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won. Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.
- Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
Minor tournaments
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 Brazilian Independence Cup |
Group stage | 8th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| 1985 Artemio Franchi Trophy Artemio Franchi Trophy The Artemio Franchi Trophy was a competition held twice between the champions of the European Football Championship and the Copa América... |
Winners | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988 Tournoi de France |
Winners | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
 1990 Kuwait Tournament |
Winners | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1994 Kirin Cup Kirin Cup The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national... |
Winners | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 1997 Tournoi de France |
Group stage | 3rd | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
 1998 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament1998 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament The King Hassan II International Cup Tournament was a minor international football competition, which took place in the spring of 1998 in Morocco.... |
Winners | 1st | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament The 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament was the third edition of this international football competition. It took place in the summer of 2000, less than a week before the Euro 2000. Matches were held on 4 and 6 June 2000 in Morocco... |
Winners | 1st | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 |
| 2000 Nelson Mandela Inauguration Challenge Cup |
Co-Winners | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 titles | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 38 | 14 |
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- Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
- Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.
- Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.
Titles
Minor titles
- Football at the Summer OlympicsFootball at the Summer OlympicsAssociation football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
: - Gold Medal (1): 1984
Football at the 1984 Summer OlympicsThe football tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics started on July 29 and ended on August 11. It featured only a men's tournament, as women's football had yet to become an Olympic event. It was the first Olympic football competition in which professionals were allowed... - Silver Medal (1): 1900
Football at the 1900 Summer OlympicsAt the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time. Only two demonstration matches were held between the three club sides, and no medals were awarded...
- Tournoi de France:
- Winners (1): 1988
- Nelson Mandela Inauguration Challenge Cup:
- Winners (1): 2000
- Nasazzi's BatonUnofficial Football World ChampionshipsThe Unofficial Football World Championships is a way of calculating the world's best football team, using a knock-out title system similar to that used in boxing and wrestling. The title is currently held by , having been won from Japan in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match on 15 November...
:- Winners (7): 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1991, 2001
Most capped players
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lilian Thuram Lilian Thuram Lilian Thuram is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both... |
1994–2008 | 142 | 2 |
| 2 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
1997–2010 | 123 | 51 |
| 3 | Marcel Desailly Marcel Desailly Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000... |
1993–2004 | 116 | 3 |
| 4 | Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship... |
1994–2006 | 108 | 31 |
| 5 | Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City.... |
1997–2009 | 107 | 6 |
| 6 | Didier Deschamps Didier Deschamps Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000... |
1989–2000 | 103 | 4 |
| 7 | Laurent Blanc Laurent Blanc Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux... |
1989–2000 | 97 | 16 |
| Bixente Lizarazu Bixente Lizarazu Bixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:... |
1992–2004 | 97 | 2 | |
| 9 | Sylvain Wiltord Sylvain Wiltord Sylvain Claude Wiltord is a French footballer who currently plays for FC Nantes. With the French national team, Wiltord has won Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.... |
1999–2006 | 92 | 26 |
| 10 | Fabien Barthez Fabien Barthez Fabien Alain Barthez is a former French footballer goalkeeper who won honours with Manchester United and the French national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets... |
1994–2006 | 87 | 0 |
Source: French Football Federation
Top goalscorers
| # | Player | Career | Goals | Caps | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
1997–2010 | 51 | 123 | 0.42 |
| 2 | Michel Platini Michel Platini Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982... |
1976–1987 | 41 | 72 | 0.57 |
| 3 | David Trezeguet David Trézéguet David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011.... |
1998–2008 | 34 | 71 | 0.47 |
| 4 | Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Zidane Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship... |
1994–2006 | 31 | 108 | 0.28 |
| 5 | Just Fontaine Just Fontaine Just "Justo" Fontaine is a former French football player.-Football career:He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958... |
1953–1960 | 30 | 21 | 1.42 |
| Jean-Pierre Papin Jean-Pierre Papin Jean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992... |
1986–1995 | 30 | 54 | 0.55 | |
| 7 | Youri Djorkaeff Youri Djorkaeff Youri Raffi Djorkaeff is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000... |
1993–2002 | 28 | 82 | 0.34 |
| 8 | Sylvain Wiltord Sylvain Wiltord Sylvain Claude Wiltord is a French footballer who currently plays for FC Nantes. With the French national team, Wiltord has won Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.... |
1999–2006 | 26 | 92 | 0.28 |
| 9 | Jean Vincent | 1953–1961 | 22 | 46 | 0.47 |
| 10 | Jean Nicolas Jean Nicolas Jean Edouard Marie Nicolas was a French international footballer.Born in Nanterre, Nicolas played club soccer for FC Rouen, and appeared in the 1934 and 1938 World Cup squads for France, and scored two goals in the 1938 tournament.He scored a total of 21 goals in 25 international games between... |
1933–1938 | 21 | 25 | 0.84 |
Source: French Football Federation
Managers
| Manager | France career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
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1969–1973 |
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1973–1975 |
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1976–1984 |
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1984–1988 |
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1988–1992 |
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1992–1993 |
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1994–1998 |
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1998–2002 |
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2002–2004 |
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2004–2010 |
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2010– |
- Managers in italics were hired as caretakersCaretaker managerIn association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
See also
- France women's national football teamFrance women's national football teamThe French women's national football team represents France in international women's football. The team is directed by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football tournaments such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, the Summer...
- France national under-21 football teamFrance national under-21 football teamThe France national under-21 football team , known in France as Les Espoirs , is the national under-21 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
- France national youth football teamFrance national youth football teamThe France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
- French Guiana national football teamFrench Guiana national football teamThe French Guiana national football team is the regio team of the French overseas department and region of French Guiana and is controlled by the Ligue de Football de Guyane, local branch of Federation Francaise de Football....
- Guadeloupe football team
- Martinique national football teamMartinique national football teamThe Martinique national football team represents the French overseas department and region of Martinique in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue de Football de la Martinique , a local branch of French Football Federation . On 7 August 2010, the national team adopted the...
- New Caledonia national football teamNew Caledonia national football teamThe New Caledonia national football team is the team of New Caledonia and is controlled by the Fédération Calédonienne de Football. Although they were only admitted to FIFA in 2004, they have been participating in the OFC Nations Cup since its inception. They have been one of this relatively small...
- Réunion national football teamRéunion national football teamThe Réunion national football team is the regional team of the French overseas department and region of Réunion and is controlled by the Ligue Réunionnaise de Football, local branch of the Federation Française de Football. Réunion is not a member of FIFA and is only an associate member of CAF, and...
- Saint-Martin national football teamSaint-Martin national football teamThe Saint-Martin national football team is the football team of Saint-Martin, the French half of Saint Martin island which was previously part of the French overseas department of Guadeloupe and is controlled by the Comité de Football des Îles du Nord...
- Tahiti national football teamTahiti national football teamThe Tahiti national football team is the national team of French Polynesia and is controlled by the Fédération Tahitienne de Football.They finished second in the OFC Nations Cup in its first three installments, 1973, 1980, and 1996. In 2009 the under 20 team qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in...