The two-time FIFA World Cup winners France are now considered as one of the strongest teams in the football world.
The UEFA side France will begin the FIFA World Cup 2022 as the defending champions. According to many experts, they are one of the favourites for this forthcoming tournament.
Before the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, let’s check out some crucial FIFA World Cup records and stats for France.
Note: All the records are till FIFA World Cup 2018
(Team Records)
Contents
Brief records
Hosts
Best Result
Final place in every edition
Last records
Match records (Top 3)
> Biggest winning margin
> Biggest losing margin
Fair Play Trophy
France’s brief records in FIFA World Cup history
Participation | Matches | Won | Drawn* | Penalty shootout | Lost | Winning %* | |
Won | Lost | ||||||
15/21 | 66 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 51.52 |
(Drawn: including penalty shootout matches; Winning %: excluding penalty shootouts)
Hosts: 1938 (Quarter-finals) and 1998 (Champions)
Best Result: Champions (1998 and 2018)
France’s final place in every FIFA World Cup
Year | Host(s) | Last position |
1930 | Uruguay | Group Stage |
1934 | Italy | First Round (Round of 16) |
1938 | France | Quarter-finals |
1950 | Brazil | Withdrew |
1954 | Switzerland | Group Stage |
1958 | Sweden | Third Place |
1962 | Chile | Did not qualify |
1966 | England | Group Stage |
1970 | Mexico | Did not qualify |
1974 | West Germany | Did not qualify |
1978 | Argentina | Group Stage |
1982 | Spain | Fourth Place |
1986 | Mexico | Third Place |
1990 | Italy | Did not qualify |
1994 | USA | Did not qualify |
1998 | France | Champions |
2002 | South Korea & Japan | Group Stage |
2006 | Germany | Runners-up |
2010 | South Africa | Group Stage |
2014 | Brazil | Quarter-finals |
2018 | Russia | Champions |
Last time in FIFA World Cup for France:
Last Champions: 2018
Last Runners-up: 2006
Last Finalists: 2018
Last Third Place: 1986
Last Fourth Place: 1982
Last Semi-finals exit: 1986
Last Quarter-finals exit: 2014
Last Round of 16 exit: 1934
Last Group Stage exit: 2010
Last Failed to Qualify: 1994
France’s match records in FIFA World Cup (Top 3)
Biggest winning margin | Biggest losing margin |
7-3 vs Paraguay in 1958 | 5-2 vs Brazil in 1958 |
4-0 vs Northern Ireland in 1958 | 3-1 vs Italy in 1938 |
4-0 vs Saudi Arabia in 1998 | 3-1 vs England in 1982 |
France’s FIFA Fair Play Trophy
1998 (jointly with England)
Also Read | FIFA World Cup 2022: Iran - World Cup Records and Stats and FIFA World Cup 2022: England - World Cup Records and Stats
(Players’ Records)
Contents
Most FIFA World Cup editions
Top 5 most appearances
Top 5 most goals
World Record
Awards (only official competition awards)
Most FIFA World Cup editions for France
Thierry Henry (1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010) experienced 4 FIFA World Cup editions.
Top 5 most appearances for France in FIFA World Cup
Player | Appearances |
Fabien Barthez | 17 |
Thierry Henry | 17 |
Lilian Thuram | 16 |
Maxime Bossis | 15 |
Michel Platini | 14 |
Top 5 most goals for France in FIFA World Cup
Player | Goals |
Just Fontaine | 13 |
Thierry Henry | 6 |
Michel Platini | 5 |
Zinedine Zidane | 5 |
Antoine Griezmann * | 4 |
*Still Playing
World Record from France
Most goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup: In FIFA World Cup 1958, Just Fontaine scored 13 goals. It is the World Record for most goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Goalkeeper with most FIFA World Cup matches without conceding a goal: Along with English goalie Peter Shilton, Fabien Barthez also holds the record for most FIFA World Cup matches without conceding a goal (10 matches).
France’s FIFA World Cup Awards (only official competition awards)
Manuel Amoros (FIFA Young Player Award 1982)
Fabien Barthez (Lev Yashin Award (currently known as Golden Glove) 1998)
Lilian Thuram (Bronze Ball 1998)
Zinedine Zidane (Golden Ball 2006)
Antoine Griezmann (Silver Boot 2018; Bronze Ball 2018)
Paul Pogba (FIFA Young Player Award 2014)
Kylian Mbappe (FIFA Young Player Award 2018)
Benjamin Pavard (Goal of the Tournament 2018)
