About France

The French Football Federation (FFF) was established on 7 April 1919 in Paris, emerging from the transformation of the Comité Français Interfédéral. Its founding president was Jules Rimet, who would later become FIFA president and the driving force behind the creation of the FIFA World Cup. France had been a FIFA member since 1907 and became a UEFA founding member in 1954.

The French men's national team has achieved extraordinary success: two FIFA World Cup victories (1998 at home, 2018 in Russia), two UEFA European Championship titles (1984, 2000), an Olympic gold medal (1984), and runner-up finishes at the 2006 and 2022 World Cups. The 1998 tournament, held on home soil, saw France defeat Brazil 3–0 in the final with Zinedine Zidane scoring twice — a defining moment in the nation's sporting history.

France's infrastructure is among Europe's finest. The INF Clairefontaine academy, established in 1976, has produced world-class talent including Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka, and serves as a model for youth development globally. The federation operates 14 elite academies and supports one of the world's deepest pipelines of professional players. The women's team and youth teams have also achieved significant international results, including eight UEFA U-19 Championships and a FIFA U-20 World Cup title in 2013.