The France national football team, specifically its men’s senior team, was founded by the French Football Federation. It represents France in international senior men’s football competitions, with its home stadium at the Stade de France.

Team History

The France national team was established in 1904. At the 1958 FIFA World Cup, France finished third under the leadership of Just Fontaine, Roger Piantoni, and Raymond Kopa, with striker Fontaine scoring 13 goals in the tournament. In the 1980s, led by stars such as Michel Platini, France reached the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and won the 1984 UEFA European Championship—the team’s first major international trophy. The ""golden midfield"" consisting of Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández, and Jean Tigana dominated the era. In the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals against Brazil, the match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes (including extra time), and France advanced to the semi-finals via a penalty shootout.

Nowadays

France fell into a slump from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, missing out on the 1990 and 1994 World Cup finals consecutively. In the 1998 World Cup final, France defeated Brazil to win their first World Cup title. Two years later, they won the UEFA European Championship, becoming the first national team to win the World Cup and European Championship in succession. They claimed the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2003. At the 2016 UEFA European Championship, France beat Germany 2-0 to reach the final but lost 0-1 to Portugal, finishing as runners-up. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final to lift the World Cup trophy again after 20 years. In October 2021, France won the UEFA Nations League title. In December 2022, in the Qatar World Cup final, France lost 5-7 to Argentina on penalties, finishing as runners-up. In July 2024, France was eliminated in the first semi-final of the 2024 UEFA European Championship, missing out on the final.

In June 2025, France won the UEFA Nations League third-place title.