The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is just around the corner, and Didier Deschamps will want to retain the greatest prize in international football after France’s incredible 2018 campaign in Russia.
And while we may laud over the fashion intricacies of kits past and present, there’s nothing that makes a football shirt more iconic than simply achieving great success while wearing it.
With that in mind, here are the five kits worn in France’s most successful World Cup campaigns to date…
What are France’s most successful World Cup kits?
1986 World Cup – Third Place
The 1986 World Cup saw Henri Michel look to guide France to their first-ever World Cup trophy. His squad featured the likes of Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Alain Giresse and more.
France was drawn into Group C alongside the USSR, Canada and Hungary.
Michel’s side progressed to the knockout stages, losing out on the top spot on goal difference.
In the Round of 16 France progressed convincingly against Italy, winning 2-0 with goals coming from Platini and Yannick Stopyra.
It didn’t get any easier for France as they played Brazil in the quarter-finals as the game went to penalties where Luis Fernandez converted the winning spot kick to keep the World Cup dream alive.
However, France’s dreams were crushed in the semi-finals after a 2-0 loss against Germany.
The France kit for this tournament featured the colours resembling the French Flag, while sporting the crest on the left side of the chest.
The majority of their home top was blue with fragments of white and red on the cuffs, leading up to the collar. The away strip, meanwhile, was predominantly white with the same trim.
1958 World Cup – Third Place
Albert Batteux’s France side looked to make a statement in Group 2 against Scotland, Yugoslavia and Paraguay at the 1958 World Cup.
Batteux’s boys opened their competition with a 7-3 win over Paraguay as Just Fontaine hit the headlines with a hattrick. France went on top of the group with six points, booking their spot in the knockout stages.
The quarter-finals saw France continue their dominance with a 4-0 win over Northern Ireland, as Fontaine grabbed a brace.
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However, a 5-2 battering from eventual winners Brazil in the semi-finals resulted in France’s World Cup journey coming to an end, but they did have an opportunity to secure third place.
In the third-place playoff, France destroyed Germany 6-3, with Fontaine finishing the game with four goals and capping off an impressive campaign that saw the forward take home the golden boot.
France’s strip for this tournament was decisively retro – a long-sleeved, blue jersey with an enlarged crest.
2006 World Cup – Runners Up
The 2006 World Cup saw Raymond Domenech piece together one of the strongest France teams of all time. The squad featured Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Lillian Thuram, Claude Makelele, Frank Ribery, Patrick Vieira and more.
Domenech’s side had France fans nervous as they only just qualified from their group, finishing one point ahead of South Korea to take second place.
France began to find their stride by defeating Spain 3-1 in the Round of 16, with goals coming from Ribery, Vieira and Zidane.
A defining moment of the tournament came in the quarter-finals as France knocked out favourites and defending champions Brazil, courtesy of a Zidane masterclass.
An Henry goal in the second half kept France’s World Cup hopes alive as they advanced to the semi-finals.
However, a moment of madness from Zidane saw the World Cup trophy slip through their fingers against Italy, and it would be the final game of the France captain’s career.
This France kit interestingly features enlarged squad numbers on the right of the chest, as well as red trim along the front and white stripes down the sleeves.
The white away version, meanwhile, is best remembered for a unique horizontal banner across the midriff emulating the French flag.
1998 World Cup Winners
Aime Jacquet’s France side dominated the 1998 World Cup, lifting their first-ever World Cup trophy in the country’s history.
France was drawn into Group C alongside South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Denmark. They topped the group winning all three matches and tallying a goal difference of +8 goals.
The Round of 16 saw France play against Paraguay. The tie would be a nervous one as it wasn’t until the 113th minute that Laurent Blanc fired a right-footed shot that sent them to the quarter-finals.
The quarter-finals, meanwhile, went to a penalty shootout. A miss from Luigi Di Biagio sent France to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals saw a Lillian Thuram brace defeat Croatia 2-1 to book France’s place in the final, where they defeated Brazil 3-0.
This kit has become perhaps the most famous in French history, not least because it was worn during their first ever World Cup triumph. It featured horizontal stripes across the midriff, as well as a collar with stylish trim and cuffs on the sleeves.
2018 World Cup Winners
The 2018 FIFA World Cup saw Didier Deschamps lead France to their first World Cup trophy in 20 years.
France would feature in Group C alongside Denmark, Peru and Australia, topping the group with seven points after winning two games and drawing one.
In the Round of 16, France were involved in the game of the tournament as they had a seven-goal thriller with Argentina. France found the lead through a Griezmann penalty before Argentina flipped the game on its head with goals from Di Maria and Mercado.
However, Deschamps’ men had a lifeline after an incredible strike from Benjamin Pavard before Kylian Mbappe put his name in the headlines with a quickfire double to advance to the quarter-finals.
The quarter-finals saw Deschamps’ side breeze past Uruguay, with Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann scoring in a comfortable 2-0 victory.
France’s defence continued to impress as a second-half Samuel Umtiti goal booked their spot in the final as they defeated Belgium 1-0.
In the final France capped off an incredible campaign, battering Croatia 4-2. Mbappe’s goal made him the youngest player to score in a World Cup final.
This France kit veered away from its flag-inspired predecessors, instead consisting of a dark, navy blue for the body, with a lighter patterned blue on the sleeves and shoulders.
It was a stylish rendition immortalised by the success France achieved while wearing it.
