Founded in 1904, the French National Football Team is one of the great teams in the World with the most titles. The wins include two World Cups, one CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup, two UEFA European Championships, two FIFA Confederations Cups and one UEFA Nations League title. Les Bleus also qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup but were beaten 2-0 by Spain in the semi-finals.
Under head coach Didier Deschamps, the France National Football Team continues to shine. Kylian Mbappé, the captain, leads a talented group of players, including Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, William Saliba, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and N’Golo Kanté. This Sportpesa analysis offers a thorough review of the team’s history, fixtures, results, squad, stats, and achievements.
France National Football Team Overview
| Category | Details |
| Team | France |
| Nickname | Les Bleus (The Blues) |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Football Association | French Football Federation (FFF) |
| FIFA World Cup Appearances | 17th |
| World Cup Debut | 1930 |
| FIFA World Cup Titles | 2 (1998, 2018) |
| Best World Cup Finish | Champions (1998, 2018) |
| FIFA Ranking (Pre-Tournament) | 3rd |
| Head Coach | Didier Deschamps |
| Captain | Kylian Mbappé |
| Home Stadium | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
History of the French National Football Team
The French national football team, ranked among the best football teams in the world, played its first official match in 1904, drawing 3–3 with Belgium in Brussels. France won its first FIFA World Cup in 1998, defeating Brazil 3–0 in the final on home soil under coach Aimé Jacquet. Led by Zinedine Zidane, Les Bleus also reached the 2006 World Cup final, finishing runners-up after losing to Italy on penalties. France claimed its second World Cup title in 2018 under Didier Deschamps with a 4–2 victory over Croatia. The team was the runner-up at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after losing to Argentina in a thrilling 3–3 final that ended in penalties.
France FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures
After losing the semi-finals to Spain, France still stands a chance to fight for the number three spot in the FIFA World Cup. Here we give you a detailed fixture that includes the Venue, dates, opponent, and kickoff time. Below is a tabular representation of the France fixtures in the 2026 World Cup.
| Date | Opponent | Kick-off Time | Venue | Stage | Status |
| 18 July 2026 | Loser of England vs Argentina | 5:00 PM EDT (21:00 UTC) | Miami Stadium, Miami, Florida, USA | Third-Place Playoff | Scheduled |
France FIFA World Cup 2026 results
The French players at the FIFA World Cup 2026 have delivered an outstanding performance, with six wins and one defeat in their games. Their outstanding 4-2-3-1 formation has given them a chance to compete for third place in the World Cup. The table below shows the results of France throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
| Stage | Match | Score | Status | Venue | Date |
| Group I | France vs Iraq | 4–1 | Win | BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, USA | 16 June 2026 |
| Group I | France vs Senegal | 4–1 | Win | BC Place, Vancouver, Canada | 21 June 2026 |
| Group I | France vs Norway | 2–0 | Win | Lumen Field, Seattle, USA | 26 June 2026 |
| Round of 32 | France vs Sweden | 3–0 | Win | NRG Stadium, Houston, USA | 30 June 2026 |
| Round of 16 | France vs Paraguay | 1–0 | Win | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, USA | 4 July 2026 |
| Quarter-final | France vs Morocco | 2–0 | Win | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, USA | 9 July 2026 |
| Semi-final | France vs Spain | 0–2 | Loss | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA | 14 July 2026 |
France World Cup 2026 squad
The table below shows the French squad for the 2026 World Cup, led by their captain, Kylian Mbappé.
| Name | No. | Pos. | Height | Weight | Club | Nationality |
| Mike Maignan | 16 | GK | 191 cm (6’3″) | 89 kg | AC Milan | France |
| Brice Samba | 1 | GK | 186 cm (6’1″) | 79 kg | RC Lens | France |
| Lucas Chevalier | 23 | GK | 189 cm (6’2″) | 78 kg | Lille OSC | France |
| Jules Koundé | 5 | DF | 180 cm (5’11”) | 70 kg | Barcelona | France |
| Benjamin Pavard | 2 | DF | 186 cm (6’1″) | 81 kg | Inter Milan | France |
| Ibrahima Konaté | 4 | DF | 194 cm (6’4″) | 95 kg | Liverpool | France |
| William Saliba | 17 | DF | 192 cm (6’4″) | 92 kg | Arsenal | France |
| Dayot Upamecano | 18 | DF | 186 cm (6’1″) | 90 kg | Bayern Munich | France |
| Theo Hernández | 22 | DF | 184 cm (6’0″) | 81 kg | AC Milan | France |
| Lucas Hernández | 21 | DF | 184 cm (6’0″) | 79 kg | Paris Saint-Germain | France |
| Jonathan Clauss | 15 | DF | 178 cm (5’10”) | 69 kg | OGC Nice | France |
| Aurélien Tchouaméni | 8 | MF | 188 cm (6’2″) | 81 kg | Real Madrid | France |
| Eduardo Camavinga | 6 | MF | 182 cm (6’0″) | 68 kg | Real Madrid | France |
| Adrien Rabiot | 14 | MF | 191 cm (6’3″) | 80 kg | Marseille | France |
| Warren Zaïre-Emery | 13 | MF | 178 cm (5’10”) | 68 kg | Paris Saint-Germain | France |
| Manu Koné | 19 | MF | 185 cm (6’1″) | 80 kg | AS Roma | France |
| Youssouf Fofana | 24 | MF | 185 cm (6’1″) | 74 kg | AC Milan | France |
| Kylian Mbappé (Captain) | 10 | FW | 178 cm (5’10”) | 75 kg | Real Madrid | France |
| Ousmane Dembélé | 11 | FW | 178 cm (5’10”) | 67 kg | Paris Saint-Germain | France |
| Bradley Barcola | 20 | FW | 186 cm (6’1″) | 70 kg | Paris Saint-Germain | France |
| Randal Kolo Muani | 12 | FW | 187 cm (6’2″) | 79 kg | Juventus | France |
| Marcus Thuram | 9 | FW | 192 cm (6’4″) | 88 kg | Inter Milan | France |
| Michael Olise | 7 | FW | 184 cm (6’0″) | 76 kg | Bayern Munich | France |
Coaching staff
The France coach, Didier Deschamps, leads the team with the help of Franck Raviot, the goalkeeping coach, and Hubert Fournier, the team’s technical director. For the club’s great performance, Didier is also assisted in running the club by his assistant, Guy Stephan, who has been his right-hand man for around 17 years. The table below presents the French coaching staff.
| Name | Role | Joined France | Nationality | Experience |
| Didier Deschamps | Head Coach | July 2012 | France | 24 |
| Guy Stéphan | Assistant Coach | July 2012 | France | 40 |
| Franck Raviot | Goalkeeping Coach | July 2012 | France | 30 |
| Cyril Moine | Fitness Coach | July 2012 | France | 26 |
| Grégory Dupont | Performance Coach | January 2023 | France | 25 |
| Thierry Marszalek | Video & Tactical Analyst | July 2012 | France | 22 |
| Alain Fernandez | Assistant Goalkeeping Coach | August 2021 | France | 21 |
| Jean-Yves Vandewalle | Team Doctor | July 2012 | France | 30 |
| Franck Le Gall | National Team Doctor | July 2012 | France | 28 |
| Cédric Ferreira | Physiotherapist | July 2012 | France | 20 |
| Alexandre Marles | Physiotherapist | January 2018 | France | 18 |
| Bruno Maestracci | Head Physiotherapist | July 2012 | France | 27 |
| Xavier Barral | Osteopath | July 2012 | France | 24 |
| Philippe Tournon | Press Officer & Head of Communications | 2004 | France | 35 |
| Philippe Diallo | President, French Football Federation (FFF) | January 2023 | France | 25 |
| Hubert Fournier | National Technical Director (DTN) | March 2021 | France | 30 |
France National team stats
The France National Football team stats give an overview of how the team has performed in the World Cup. The analysis includes both the team and player performance. The key components are Top Scorers, appearances, defence, attack, streaks and discipline.
| Category | Statistic | Updated Value |
| Tournament Status | Current Stage | Third-Place Playoff |
| Tournament Record | 6 Wins, 1 Loss | |
| Matches Played | 7 | |
| Wins | 6 | |
| Draws | 0 | |
| Losses | 1 | |
| Win Percentage | 85.7% | |
| Goals | Goals Scored | 16 |
| Goals Conceded | 4 | |
| Goal Difference | +12 | |
| Average Goals Scored per Match | 2.29 | |
| Average Goals Conceded per Match | 0.57 | |
| Clean Sheets | 4 | |
| Group Stage | Group | I |
| Final Position | 1st | |
| Record | 3 Wins, 0 Draws, 0 Losses | |
| Goals For | 10 | |
| Goals Against | 2 | |
| Goal Difference | +8 | |
| Points | 9 | |
| Knockout Stage | Round of 32 | France 3–0 Sweden |
| Round of 16 | France 1–0 Paraguay | |
| Quarter-final | France 2–0 Morocco | |
| Semi-final | France 0–2 Spain (Loss) | |
| Next Match | Third-Place Playoff vs Loser of England vs Argentina | |
| Match Performance | Biggest Win | 4–1 vs Iraq |
| Highest Goals Scored | 4 (vs Iraq & Senegal) | |
| Largest Winning Margin | 3 Goals | |
| Attack | Top Scorer | Kylian Mbappé |
| Most Assists | Ousmane Dembélé | |
| Most Shots | Kylian Mbappé | |
| Most Shots on Target | Kylian Mbappé | |
| Defence | First-choice Goalkeeper | Mike Maignan |
| Goals Conceded | 4 | |
| Clean Sheets | 4 | |
| Fewest Goals Conceded in a Match | 0 (4 matches) | |
| Discipline | Yellow Cards | 6 |
| Red Cards | 0 | |
| Players Sent Off | None | |
| Streaks | Longest Winning Streak | 6 Matches |
| Current Winning Streak | 0 | |
| Longest Unbeaten Run | 6 Matches | |
| Current Unbeaten Run | 0 | |
| Longest Losing Streak | 1 Match | |
| Current Losing Streak | 1 Match | |
| Attendance | Highest Attendance | 80,619 (vs Morocco) |
| Lowest Attendance | 56,352 (vs Iraq) | |
| Average Attendance | Approximately 69,500 | |
| Total Attendance | Approximately 486,500 (7 matches) | |
| Squad | Captain | Kylian Mbappé |
| Head Coach | Didier Deschamps | |
| Confederation | UEFA | |
| FIFA World Cup Titles | 2 (1998, 2018) | |
| Tournament Objective | Goal | Finish third and conclude the tournament on a high note after missing out on the final. |
Honours and achievements
The French national football team is successful. They have won two World Cups and two UEFA European Championships. France is one of only three nations to win the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament. The table below shows the awards and achievements of the French national team.
| Category | Competition | Title | Winning Seasons |
| FIFA | FIFA World Cup | Champions | 1998, 2018 |
| FIFA | FIFA World Cup | Runners-up | 2006, 2022 |
| FIFA | FIFA World Cup | Third Place | 1958, 1986 |
| FIFA | FIFA Confederations Cup | Champions | 2001, 2003 |
| FIFA | FIFA Confederations Cup | Fourth Place | 1997 |
| UEFA | UEFA European Championship (UEFA Euro) | Champions | 1984, 2000 |
| UEFA | UEFA European Championship | Runners-up | 2016 |
| UEFA | UEFA European Championship | Semi-finalists | 1960, 1996 |
| UEFA | UEFA Nations League | Champions | 2020–21 |
| UEFA | UEFA Nations League | Third Place | 2024–25 |
| Olympic Games | Olympic Football Tournament | Gold Medal | 1984 |
| Intercontinental | Artemio Franchi Cup | Champions | 1985 |
| Regional / Invitational | Hassan II Trophy | Champions | 1998, 2000 |
| Regional / Invitational | Kirin Cup | Champions | 1994 |
Latest France National Football team news
The French World Cup 2026 has just suffered its first defeat of the tournament. Spain defeated them 2-0, ending their hopes for the championship and relegating them to the third-place playoff. While they can no longer win the title, the team is set to face the loser of the Argentina vs England match to determine the final tournament rankings.
Get all the latest France news on the World Cup tournament right here on SportPesa’s live blog.
FAQs about the French National Football Team
Who is the current head coach of the French national football team?
The current head coach for the French national team is Didier Deschamps.
Where do the French National Football team play their home matches?
The French National team plays some matches at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, North of Paris.
Why is the French National Football team called Les Bleus?
The Les Bleus nickname for the French national football team comes from their traditional blue jerseys.
Who is the captain and star player of the French national football team?
The Captain of the French National Football team is their star player, Kylian Mbappe.
Conclusion
The French National Football Team remains one of the most successful teams in global football. The team looks forward to a successful run in the 2026 World Cup, having reached the Semifinals. Stay tuned for SportPesa‘s updates to get all the World Cup live scores, fixtures and standings.
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