France at the FIFA World Cup France at the FIFA World Cup This is a record of France's results at the FIFA World Cup. France was one of the four European teams that participated at the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and have appeared in 15 FIFA World Cups, tied for the sixth most of any country. The national team is one of eight to have won the FIFA World Cup title and one of only six to have done so more than once. The French team won its first World Cup title in 1998. The tournament was played on home soil and France defeated Brazil
1950 FIFA World Cup in qualifying, to fill the gaps left by Scotland and Turkey. Portugal and Ireland refused, but France initially accepted, and was entered into the draw. The draw, held in Rio on 22 May 1950, allocated the fifteen remaining teams into four groups: After the draw, the Indian football association AIFF decided against going to the World Cup, citing travel costs (although FIFA had agreed to bear a major part of the travel expenses), lack of practice time, team selection issues and valuing the Olympics over the FIFA World Cup. Although FIFA had imposed a rule banning barefoot play following the