France Wins Home World Cup
In July 1998, France won the FIFA World Cup for the first time, defeating defending champion Brazil 3-0 in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. Zinedine Zidane scored two goals, both from headers, and the victory became one of the most celebrated moments in French sporting history. It also set off a national conversation about identity and integration that outlasted the tournament itself.
France had long been a major force in European football but had never won the sport's biggest prize. Its great side of the early 1980s, led by Michel Platini, lost semifinals in 1982 and 1986, and the team failed to qualify for the 1990 and 1994 tournaments. As host, France received automatic entry, and the Stade de France was built specifically for the event. Coach Aimé Jacquet, who had faced harsh criticism from the French press, assembled a disciplined team built around a strong defense, with Marcel Desailly, Lilian Thuram, and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, and Didier Deschamps as captain.
The 1998 tournament was the first to feature 32 teams. France topped its group, then beat Paraguay in the round of 16 on a golden goal by Laurent Blanc, and edged Italy on penalties in the quarterfinals. In the semifinal against Croatia, France came from behind to win 2-1, with both goals scored by defender Lilian Thuram, his only goals for the national team. Brazil, led by Ronaldo, were favorites for the final, and the circumstances around Ronaldo's late inclusion in the lineup, after reports of a health scare before the match, have been discussed ever since. Zidane scored twice before halftime, and Emmanuel Petit added a third in stoppage time. Defender Marcel Desailly was sent off for France late in the second half, but the result was not in doubt.
The celebrations were huge, with crowds filling the Champs-Élysées. Many commentators pointed to the team's diversity, since several players were of immigrant or overseas-territory background, including Zidane, whose family came from Algeria. The squad was often described as "black, blanc, beur," a play on the French flag's colors. Some saw it as a symbol of a more inclusive France, and the president's approval ratings rose in the aftermath. Others cautioned that the goodwill did not resolve deeper social tensions, and historians still debate how lasting the effect was.
France followed up by winning the European Championship in 2000. Zidane became a global icon, and the 1998 side remains a touchstone for French football.