France

History of the France National Team: The Glory of Les Bleus, from Fontaine to Mbappé

Two-time world champions and two-time European champions, France have shaped football history through their style, their diversity and their winning culture. In 2026 they finished fourth at a World Cup where Kylian Mbappé became the first player ever to win two Golden Boots.

1. The Pioneers and the Invention of Football's Great Competitions (1904–1957)

France played their first official match on 1 May 1904 in Uccle against Belgium (3–3), a few weeks before FIFA was founded in Paris. French football played a founding role in the global organisation of the game: Jules Rimet, FIFA president from 1921 to 1954, drove through the creation of the World Cup, and it was a Frenchman, Lucien Laurent, who scored the very first goal in the tournament's history, on 13 July 1930 against Mexico. Les Bleus nevertheless remained outsiders for a long time, despite a fourth place on home soil in 1938.

2. Fontaine, Kopa and the Breakthrough of 1958 (1958–1978)

The 1958 World Cup in Sweden revealed France's first great generation. Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in six matches, an all-time finals record never since approached, while Raymond Kopa, the Real Madrid playmaker, won the Ballon d'Or in the same year. France took a brilliant third place. Two difficult decades followed, marked by repeated absences from major tournaments, before a return at the 1978 World Cup.

3. The Magic Square, Seville and a First Crown (1979–1990)

The 1980s brought a romantic, exceptionally technical generation led by Michel Platini, a three-time Ballon d'Or winner. Alongside Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Luis Fernandez, he formed the famous carré magique. The 1982 World Cup produced one of the most dramatic matches in history: the Seville semi-final against West Germany, lost on penalties after a 3–3 draw and goalkeeper Schumacher's unpunished assault on Patrick Battiston. Revenge came at home at Euro 1984: Platini scored 9 goals in five matches and delivered France's first major title, beating Spain 2–0 in the final at the Parc des Princes. A third place at the 1986 World Cup extended the era.

4. The Zidane Generation and the First Star (1996–2006)

12 July 1998 remains the most glorious day in French sport. At home, at the Stade de France, Aimé Jacquet's side crushed Brazil 3–0 in the World Cup final through two headers from Zinédine Zidane and a goal from Emmanuel Petit. That team, a symbol of a plural France, confirmed its supremacy by winning Euro 2000 after a classic final against Italy (2–1, David Trezeguet's golden goal). Led by Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Lilian Thuram, the generation also reached the 2006 World Cup final, lost on penalties to Italy in Zidane's last match.

5. Crisis, the Deschamps Revival and Moscow (2010–2018)

After the Knysna player strike and a humiliating exit at the 2010 World Cup, the federation undertook a thorough rebuild. Appointed in 2012, Didier Deschamps — the winning captain of 1998 — instilled an exceptional winning culture and tactical discipline. After a home final lost to Portugal at Euro 2016, fulfilment arrived in Russia: on 15 July 2018 in Moscow, France beat Croatia 4–2 to claim a second star, driven by the precocious brilliance of Kylian Mbappé, the leadership of Paul Pogba, the efficiency of Antoine Griezmann and the solidity of Raphaël Varane and N'Golo Kanté.

6. Qatar, the Nations League and the 2026 World Cup (2019–2026)

Nations League winners in 2021 against Spain, Les Bleus came agonisingly close to back-to-back world titles in Qatar in 2022: 2–0 down, they drew level at 3–3 through a Mbappé hat-trick before losing on penalties to Argentina, in what many regard as the finest final ever played. Mbappé won his first Golden Boot there. A Euro 2024 semi-final followed.

Ranked third in the world before the 2026 World Cup, France produced a solid campaign in North America. They beat Sweden 3–0 in the round of 32 on 30 June in East Rutherford, Paraguay 1–0 in the last 16 on 4 July in Philadelphia, then Morocco 2–0 in the quarter-finals on 9 July in Foxborough. In the semi-final, on 14 July in Arlington, they lost 0–2 to Spain, the eventual world champions. On 18 July in Miami Gardens the third-place play-off against England turned into an attacking festival: a 6–4 defeat, and fourth place overall.

The consolation came from Kylian Mbappé, who scored ten goals and won the Golden Boot, becoming the first player in history to claim the award twice, after 2022.

7. Towards 2030: A Third Star in Sight

Since competition resumed in September 2026, Les Bleus have begun a new cycle with a talent pool still regarded as the deepest on the planet, fed by academies that remain Europe's benchmark. Between the continental fixtures ahead and the 2030 World Cup — the centenary edition — the objective is unchanged: to bring a third star above the cockerel.