France national football team

The France national football team represents France in men's international football and is managed by the French Football Federation. Known as Les Bleus, the team wears the colors of the French blue-white-red tricolour and uses the Gallic rooster as a symbol. They play their home games at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

Since being founded in 1904, France has become one of the most successful teams in football history. They have won two FIFA World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, and many other important trophies. Famous players like Michel Platini, Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane, and others have helped the team achieve great victories over the years.

France has competed in many exciting matches against teams like Belgium, England, Germany, and Spain. One of their strongest rivalries is with Argentina, especially after facing them in big games in the 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup. The France national football team continues to be a proud part of the country's sports tradition.

History

Main article: History of the France national football team

Early years (1900–1930s)

The France national football team began in 1904, around the same time FIFA was created. Their first official match was on May 1, 1904, against Belgium in Brussels, ending in a 3–3 draw. The next year, on February 12, 1905, France played their first home match against Switzerland at the Parc des Princes and won 1–0, with a goal from Gaston Cyprès. Because of issues between FIFA and France’s sports union, the team had trouble getting started. In 1919, a new group called the French Football Federation (FFF) was formed, and by 1921, it became the main organization for French football.

In 1930, France joined the very first FIFA World Cup in Uruguay. In their first match, they beat Mexico 4–1. Lucien Laurent scored the first goal ever in World Cup history. However, France also became the first team to not score in a World Cup match after losing 1–0 to Argentina. Another loss to Chile meant they didn’t advance past the group stage. In 1938, France hosted the World Cup and reached the quarterfinals before losing to Italy.

1950s–1980s

In the late 1950s, France had a strong group of players, including Just Fontaine, Raymond Kopa, and Michel Platini. In the 1958 World Cup, France reached the semi-finals and then won the third-place match against West Germany 6–3, with Fontaine scoring four goals. France hosted the first UEFA European Football Championship in 1960 but lost in the semi-finals to Yugoslavia.

The 1960s and 1970s were tough for France, with the team not qualifying for many tournaments. In the 1980s, under manager Michel Hidalgo, France improved. Players like Michel Platini helped the team win Euro 1984, which they hosted. France also won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics and the Artemio Franchi Trophy. At the 1986 World Cup, France reached the semi-finals and finished third.

Zidane era and World Champions (1995–2006)

France struggled to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and failed to make it. But under new manager Aimé Jacquet, the team improved. In the 1998 World Cup, which France hosted, they won the tournament by beating Brazil 3–0 in the final. This was France’s first World Cup win.

France also won Euro 2000, beating Italy 2–1 in the final with a goal from David Trezeguet in extra time. However, in the 2002 World Cup, France was surprisingly eliminated in the first round after losing to Senegal 1–0.

Decline and rebuild (2007–2015)

France qualified for Euro 2008 but performed poorly and finished last in their group. In the 2010 World Cup, France faced many problems, including disputes among players, and were eliminated in the group stage. After the tournament, several players faced consequences for their behavior.

At Euro 2012, France reached the quarter-finals but lost to Spain. Under new coach Didier Deschamps, France qualified for the 2014 World Cup but lost to Germany in the quarter-finals.

Renewed success (2016–present)

France automatically qualified as hosts for UEFA Euro 2016 and reached the final but lost to Portugal. In the 2018 World Cup, France won the tournament for the second time, beating Croatia 4–2 in the final.

In UEFA Euro 2020, which was held in 2021, France was eliminated in the round of 16 by Switzerland. France also won the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League by beating Spain 2–1 in the final.

At the 2022 World Cup, France reached the final but lost to Argentina on penalties after a 3–3 draw. France has qualified for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.

Home stadium

Main articles: Stade de France, Parc des Princes, and INF Clairefontaine

In the early days, France's football team played in different stadiums, mainly the Parc des Princes in Paris and the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes. They also used other places like the Stade Pershing, Stade de Paris, and Stade Buffalo, but not very often. Later, they started playing in cities outside Paris, such as Nantes, Marseille, Lyon, and Strasbourg.

After the Parc des Princes was renovated in 1972, it became France’s main home stadium. They still played some smaller games in other places. In 2005 and 2010, France played friendly matches in Martinique and Réunion.

In 1998, the Stade de France opened just before the World Cup. It is located in Saint-Denis, near Paris, and can hold 81,338 fans. France played its first game there on January 28, 1998, against Spain, and won 1–0 with a goal by Zinedine Zidane. Since then, this stadium has been used for most of France’s important home games, including the 1998 World Cup final.

Before every game, the team practices at the INF Clairefontaine academy in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines. This academy opened in 1988 and is one of the best training centers in France.

Team image

Media coverage

The France national football team has a special agreement with TF1 Group to show its matches. This deal lets TF1 show all of France’s games, including friendly matches, for four seasons from August 2010 to June 2014. TF1 also gets extra rights, like showing team images on TV. After France won the World Cup in 2018, M6 and TF1 together showed all of France’s international games until 2022.

Kits and crest

The France national team uses the colors blue, white, and red, which come from France’s national flag. Their first shirt in 1904 was white. Usually, they wear blue shirts, white shorts, and red socks at home, and all white or white with blue shorts when away. In 1978, they had to wear green-and-white shirts because both teams had white kits.

France’s shirts were made by Le Coq Sportif from 1966 to 1971, then by Adidas from 1972 until 2011. During this time, they won big tournaments like the 1984 European Championship, the 1998 World Cup, and the 2000 European Championship. In 2011, they started wearing Nike shirts, which were very expensive. Nike made new shirts for Euro 2012 and for Euro 2016, though they had to change one shirt for a game because of rules.

Nickname

France is called Les Bleus (The Blues) because of their blue shirts. They are also called Les Tricolores because they use France’s three colors. In the 1980s, they were called the "Brazilians of Europe" for their exciting, skillful style of play. Their strong defense helped them win the 2018 World Cup and earned them the name "Mur de fer" ("The Iron Wall").

Results and fixtures

Further information: 2024–25 in French football and 2025–26 in French football

This section lists the results of matches from the last year and any games that are planned for the future. It shows whether France won, drew, or lost each game, along with the details of when and where they played.

2025

2026

Coaching staff

As of March 2024.

Coaching history

As of 29 March 2026

Managers in italics were hired as caretakers.

Players

For a full list of all players who have played for the France national football team, see List of France international footballers.

See also: List of France national football team captains

Current squad

The following 26 players were chosen to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and in friendly matches against Ivory Coast and Northern Ireland on 4 and 8 June 2026.
Information about their appearances and goals is current as of 29 March 2026, after the match against Colombia.

Recent call-ups

These players have also been called up to the team in the past twelve months.

Player of the Year

Further information: French Player of the Year

Player records

See also: List of leading goalscorers for the France national football team and List of France national football team captains

As of 29 March 2026

Players in bold are still active with France.

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

Competitive record

For single-match results of the national team, see French football single-season articles and the team's results page

FIFA World Cup

Main article: France at the FIFA World Cup

France was one of the first teams to play in the very first World Cup in 1930 and has played in sixteen World Cups up to 2022. France is one of the few teams to have won the World Cup. They won their first World Cup in 1998, playing in their own country, by beating Brazil 3–0 in the final.

France was the runner-up in the World Cup in 2006, losing to Italy after a penalty shoot-out. They have also finished third twice, in 1958 and 1986, and fourth once, in 1982. Their worst performances were in 2002 and 2010, when they were eliminated in the first round. In 2014, France reached the quarter-finals before losing to Germany. In 2018, they won the World Cup again, beating Croatia 4–2 in the final. In 2022, France were runners-up, losing to Argentina in a penalty shoot-out.

_Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out._

__Red border indicates tournament was held on home soil._

UEFA European Championship

Main article: France at the UEFA European Championship

France is one of the most successful teams in the European Championship, having won it twice, in 1984 and 2000. They shared the field with Spain, who have four titles, and Germany, who have three. France hosted the first ever European Championship in 1960 and have played in eleven tournaments, which is among the best. They won their first title in 1984, playing at home, with Michel Platini leading the team. In 2000, they won again, this time in Belgium and the Netherlands, with Zinedine Zidane as their star player. Their worst results were in 1992 and 2008, when they were eliminated in the first round.

_Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out._

UEFA Nations League

Main article: France in the UEFA Nations League

_Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out._

__Group stage and quarter-finals played home and away. Flag shown represents host nation for the finals stage._

FIFA Confederations Cup

Main article: France at the FIFA Confederations Cup

France played in two FIFA Confederations Cups and won both times. Only Brazil, with four wins, has more titles. France won their first Confederations Cup in 2001 after winning the World Cup in 1998. They beat Japan 1–0 in the final. In 2003, as the host country, France won again, beating Cameroon 1–0 after extra time.

CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions

Head-to-head record

Updated as of Colombia vs. France on 29 March 2026.

Honours

The France national football team has won many important awards and competitions over the years.

They have won the FIFA World Cup two times, in 1998 and 2018. They were also runners-up in 2006 and 2022, and took third place in 1958 and 1986. They won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003.

In the UEFA European Championship, they were champions in 1984 and 2000, and were runners-up in 2016. They also won the UEFA Nations League in 2021.

They won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1984, and a silver medal in 1900. They also won the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions in 1985.

The team has also received several awards, including being named FIFA Team of the Year in 2001, Laureus World Team of the Year in 2001 and 2019, and World Soccer Team of the Year in 1984, 1991, 1998, 2000, and 2018.