France enter the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament’s most decorated nations, and Les Bleus are once again in the mix to add to a trophy case that already includes two world titles.
France‘s history with the World Cup dates back to the tournament’s very first edition, and the nation has since built one of the most successful résumés in the competition, with two stars now sitting proudly above the crest, representing the titles won in 1998 and 2018, two decades and a generation of players apart.
This year’s tournament marks France’s 17th all-time appearance, tied for the sixth-most of any nation, following their debut back in 1930 as one of just four European teams to make the trip to the inaugural edition in Uruguay.
Les Bleus have missed the tournament on six occasions since then, including a 12-year absence between 1982 and 1994, a stretch that stands in sharp contrast to the sustained excellence France has shown since the turn of the millennium.
Kylian Mbappe celebrates a goal for France. (Getty Images)
France’s best World Cup campaigns
France’s first title came in 1998, when Didier Deschamps captained the host nation to a 3-0 win over Brazil in the final at the Stade de France, powered by two headers from Zinedine Zidane.
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Twenty years later, France lifted the trophy again in Russia, this time with Deschamps in charge as head coach, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final. A 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe scored in that final, becoming just the second teenager ever to do so at a World Cup, after Pele in 1958.
Those two triumphs are bookended by heartbreak on two other occasions. France reached the final in both 2006 and 2022, only to fall both times, losing to Italy on penalties in Berlin and to Argentina on penalties in Qatar, the latter despite a Mbappe hat trick that briefly forced extra time.
France’s overall World Cup record
Between the two titles and two runner-up finishes, France have also reached the semifinals on two other occasions, taking third place in both 1958 and 1986.
Including their ongoing 2026 campaign- before the Round of 16 clash vs Paraguay-, France have played 70 World Cup matches all-time, winning 38, drawing 19, and losing 13.
