Has France Ever Won the World Cup? A Look at Their History and Achievements

At the 2026 World Cup, France aims to claim their third title. After a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss in the 2022 final in Qatar, Les Bleus return with high hopes of reaching the summit once again.

France’s World Cup Legacy

Their World Cup journey began at the very first tournament in 1930, making them one of the pioneering European teams to compete in Uruguay. Since then, they have built an impressive record, participating 17 times—the sixth most appearances globally. They missed the tournament six times, including a notable gap from 1982 to 1994, but their performance since 2000 has been consistently strong.

Triumphs and Heartbreak

France secured their first World Cup win in 1998 on home soil. Led by captain Didier Deschamps, they defeated Brazil 3-0 in the final with two crucial headers from Zinedine Zidane. Two decades later, in Russia 2018, Deschamps coached the team to another victory, beating Croatia 4-2. The 2018 final featured a young Kylian Mbappe, who scored as a teenager, joining Pele as the only teenagers to score in a World Cup final.

Between these victories, France faced tough losses in finals. In 2006, they fell to Italy in a penalty shootout in Berlin. Most recently, they lost again on penalties to Argentina in 2022, despite Mbappe’s remarkable hat trick that pushed the game into extra time.

Overall World Cup Performance

Apart from their two wins and two finals defeats, France reached the semifinals twice more, finishing third in both 1958 and 1986. Up to the current stage of the 2026 tournament, before facing Paraguay in the Round of 16, France has played 70 World Cup matches: 38 wins, 19 draws, and 13 losses.