France women's national football team facts for kids
 |
|||
| Nickname(s) | Les Bleues (The Blues) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Fédération Française de Football (FFF) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Laurent Bonadei | ||
| Captain | Wendie Renard | ||
| Most caps | Sandrine Soubeyrand (198) | ||
| Top scorer | Eugénie Le Sommer (93) | ||
| FIFA code | FRA | ||
|
|||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 3  1 (7 December 2018) |
||
| Highest | 2 (June 2024) | ||
| Lowest | 10 (September 2009; August 2024) | ||
| First international | |||
.svg){kind=small} France 4–0 Netherlands  (Hazebrouck, France; 17 April 1971) |
|||
| Biggest win | |||
.svg){kind=small} France 14–0 Algeria  (Cesson-Sévigné, France; 14 May 1998) France 14–0 Bulgaria  (Le Mans, France; 28 November 2013) |
|||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Germany 7–0 France  (Bad Kreuznach, Germany; 2 September 1992) |
|||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 2003) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2011) | ||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in 2012) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2012) | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 8 (first in 1997) | ||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2022) | ||
| Nations League Finals | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2024) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2024) | ||
The France women's national football team is also known as Les Bleues (The Blues). This team represents France in international women's football matches. The French Football Federation (FFF) manages the team. France competes in big tournaments like the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, and the Summer Olympics.
The team faced challenges early on. They did not qualify for many major tournaments. But since the year 2000, France has become a very strong team in Europe. They played in their first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003. In 2011, they achieved their best World Cup finish, coming in fourth place. The next year, they won the 2012 Cyprus Cup and also placed fourth at the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
Laurent Bonadei is the current team manager. He took over in 2024. The team's captain is defender Wendie Renard.
Contents
History of French Women's Football
How Women's Football Started
In 1919, a women's football league began in France. It was started by a group called FSFSF. On April 29, 1920, a French team played its first international game in England. They played against an English team called Dick, Kerr's Ladies. Over 25,000 people watched this exciting match! France won 2–0.
The teams played more friendly games in France and England. Even when women's football was banned in England in 1921, the French team kept playing. However, by 1932, the women's league in France also stopped. The last international match for the FSFSF team was a draw against Belgium in 1932.
Bringing Football Back for Women
In the late 1960s, players in France worked hard to bring women's football back. In 1969, France played in an unofficial European Cup. Italy won that tournament. The French Football Federation officially brought back women's football in 1970. France played its first official international match on April 17, 1971. They played against the Netherlands and won.
In 1975, the women's football league was officially restarted. This time, the French Football Federation fully supported it. The Stade Reims team was very strong in the 1970s and 1980s. Many players from this team played for the national team.
For a while, the French team struggled in international games. They didn't get much support from the FFF. This changed when Élisabeth Loisel became the coach.
Training at Clairefontaine
Under coach Loisel, the FFF moved the women's national team to Clairefontaine. This is a famous training center for football players. Young women players could now train there, just like the men. This led to a special training section for women at Clairefontaine.
With better training, the team improved a lot. They qualified for their first-ever Women's World Cup in 2003. They beat England to get there. Over 23,000 fans watched their game in Saint-Étienne. Loisel's team also played in the 2005 European Championship. However, they were knocked out early. Loisel was later replaced after the team failed to qualify for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The Bruno Bini Era
Bruno Bini became the new coach. He had coached many French youth teams before. He took over a team with many talented young players. These included Camille Abily, Sonia Bompastor, Louisa Necib, and Wendie Renard.
Under Bini, France did very well. They finished first in their Euro qualifying group. They also did great in friendly tournaments. At the 2009 European Championship, France reached the quarterfinals. They lost to the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.
Success at the 2011 World Cup
Bini's next goal was to qualify for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The team scored 50 goals and let in none during their ten qualifying matches. They won all their games! France qualified for the World Cup after beating Italy in a playoff.
At the 2011 World Cup in Germany, France finished second in their group. They beat Nigeria and Canada. In the quarterfinals, they beat England in a penalty shootout. They lost to the United States in the semi-finals. France finished fourth, which was their best World Cup result ever! This also helped them qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
A Golden Era for French Football
France has had a very successful period in women's football. In the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden, France won their group. They beat Spain, England, and Russia. But they lost to Denmark in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Journey
France was a favorite to win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. They were in Group F with England, Mexico, and Colombia. They won their first game against England 1–0. But then, they had a surprising 2–0 loss to Colombia. This meant they had to win their last group game against Mexico. They won 5–0 and topped their group.
In the knockout stage, France easily beat South Korea 3–0. In the quarterfinals, they played against Germany. France played very well but couldn't score enough. They scored one goal, but Germany tied it with a penalty. The game went to a penalty shootout, where France lost 4–5.
UEFA Women's Euro 2017
France won all their qualifying matches for the UEFA Women's Euro 2017. Many fans came to watch their home games. For example, over 24,000 people watched the game against Greece. At the tournament, France drew two games and won one in their group. They were then defeated by England in the quarterfinals.
Hosting the 2019 World Cup
France was chosen to host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in March 2015. As hosts, they automatically qualified and were seen as a strong contender to win. They won all three of their group games against Norway, Nigeria, and South Korea.
In the Round of 16, France beat Brazil 2–1. But in the quarterfinals, they lost to the United States by the same score. This World Cup was important because many women's teams used it to speak up for equal pay between men and women players.
Recent Coaching Changes
Corinne Diacre became the manager in August 2017. Under her, France won the SheBelieves Cup in 2017. However, she had some disagreements with veteran players. Because of this, the French Football Federation decided to let her go in March 2023.
Hervé Renard was appointed as the new manager on March 30, 2023. He signed a contract to lead the team through the Olympic Games in August 2024. After the 2024 Olympics, Laurent Bonadei took over as head coach.
Team Identity
Team Nickname
The France women's national football team is often called "Les Bleues". This means "The Blues" in French. It refers to the blue color of their jerseys.
How to Watch the Games
Many TV channels have shown the France women's national football team's games over the years.
FIFA Women's World Cup Coverage
| Television channel | Period |
|---|---|
| Direct 8 | 2011 |
| W9 | 2015 |
| TF1 | 2019 |
UEFA Women's Euro Coverage
| Television channel | Period |
|---|---|
| Direct 8 | 2009, 2013 |
| France Télévisions | 2017 |
| TF1 | 2022 |
Friendly and Qualifiers Coverage
| Television channel | Period |
|---|---|
| Direct 8, C8, CStar | 2009–2018 |
| W9 | 2019–2023 |
Team Records
Most Games Played (Caps)
These players have played the most games for France. Players in bold are still playing for the national team.
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandrine Soubeyrand | 1997–2013 | 198 | 17 |
| 2 | Eugénie Le Sommer | 2009–present | 196 | 93 |
| 3 | Élise Bussaglia | 2003–2019 | 192 | 30 |
| 4 | Laura Georges | 2001–2018 | 188 | 7 |
| 5 | Camille Abily | 2001–2017 | 183 | 37 |
| 6 | Gaëtane Thiney | 2007–2019 | 163 | 58 |
| 7 | Wendie Renard | 2011–present | 165 | 39 |
| 8 | Sonia Bompastor | 2000–2012 | 156 | 19 |
| 9 | Sarah Bouhaddi | 2004–2020 | 149 | 0 |
| 10 | Louisa Nécib | 2005–2016 | 145 | 36 |
Most Goals Scored
These players have scored the most goals for France. Players in bold are still playing for the national team.
| # | Player | Career | Goals | Caps | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eugénie Le Sommer | 2009–present | 93 | 196 | 0.47 |
| 2 | Marinette Pichon | 1994–2008 | 81 | 112 | 0.72 |
| 3 | Marie-Laure Delie | 2009–2017 | 65 | 123 | 0.53 |
| 4 | Gaëtane Thiney | 2007–2019 | 58 | 163 | 0.36 |
| 5 | Wendie Renard | 2011–present | 39 | 165 | 0.24 |
| 6 | Camille Abily | 2001–2017 | 37 | 183 | 0.2 |
| 7 | Louisa Nécib | 2005–2016 | 36 | 145 | 0.25 |
| 8 | Marie-Antoinette Katoto | 2018–present | 35 | 45 | 0.78 |
| 9 | Élodie Thomis | 2005–2017 | 32 | 141 | 0.23 |
| 10 | Hoda Lattaf | 1997–2007 | 31 | 111 | 0.28 |
Team Achievements (Honours)
The France women's national football team has won several invitational tournaments:
- Cyprus Cup: Winners in 2012 and 2014
- SheBelieves Cup: Winners in 2017
- Tournoi de France: Winners in 2020, 2022, and 2023
Tournament History
FIFA Women's World Cup
France has played in the FIFA Women's World Cup several times. Their best finish was fourth place in 2011.
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
 1991 |
Did not qualify | UEFA Euro 1991 | |||||||||||||
 1995 |
UEFA Euro 1995 | ||||||||||||||
 1999 |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2003 |
Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 10 | |
| 2007 |
Did not qualify | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 4 | ||||||||
 2011 |
Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 2 | |
 2015 |
Quarter-finals | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 4 | |
 2019 |
Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | Qualified as host | ||||||
  2023 |
Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 3 | |
 2027 |
To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
| Total | 5/9 | 0 Titles | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 44 | 24 | 56 | 45 | 6 | 5 | 201 | 29 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty kicks.
Olympic Games
France has participated in the Summer Olympics football tournament three times. Their best result was fourth place in 2012.
| Summer Olympics record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1996 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2000 |
||||||||
 2004 |
||||||||
| 2008 |
||||||||
 2012 |
Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 8 |
| 2016 |
Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
 2020 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 2024 |
Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 2028 |
To be determined | |||||||
| 2032 |
||||||||
| Total | 3/8 | 0 Titles | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 16 |
UEFA Women's Championship
France has competed in the UEFA Women's Championship many times. Their best finish was reaching the semi-finals in 2022.
| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||
 1987 |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 15 | |||||||||
| 1989 |
10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 3 | |||||||||
 1991 |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
 1993 |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | |||||||||
 1995 |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||
| 1997 |
Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 6 | |
| 2001 |
Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2005 |
Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 7 | |
 2009 |
Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2013 |
Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
 2017 |
Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2022 |
Semi-finals | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
 2025 |
Qualified | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||
| Total | 8/14 | 0 Titles | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 39 | 34 | 96 | 63 | 15 | 18 | 246 | 71 | |
- *Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.
UEFA Women's Nations League
France was the runner-up in the first UEFA Women's Nations League Finals in 2024.
| UEFA Women's Nations League record | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League phase | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | LG | GP | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK | Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| 2023–24 | A | 2 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |  |
2nd |  2024 |
Runners-up | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 2025–26 | A | To be determined |  2026 |
To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | Total | 0 Title | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||
Current Coaching Staff
As of August 23, 2024, here is the current coaching staff:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Laurent Bonadei |
Past Managers
- Pierre Geoffroy (1971–1978)
- Francis-Pierre Coché (1978–1987)
- Aimé Mignot (1987–1997)
- Élisabeth Loisel (1997–2007)
- Bruno Bini (2007–2013)
- Philippe Bergeroo (2013–2016)
- Olivier Echouafni (2016–2017)
- Corinne Diacre (2017–2023)
- Hervé Renard (2023–2024)
- Laurent Bonadei (2024–present)
Current Team Players
The following 30 players were called up for friendly matches in November and December 2024. Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of October 29, 2024.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Pauline Peyraud-Magnin | 17 March 1992 | 57 | 0 | Juventus |
|
| GK | Constance Picaud | 5 July 1998 | 11 | 0 | Fleury |
|
| GK | Justine Lerond | 29 February 2000 | 0 | 0 | Montpellier |
|
| GK | Marie-Morgane Sieber | 15 July 2002 | 0 | 0 | Guingamp |
|
|
|
||||||
| DF | Wendie Renard (captain) | 20 July 1990 | 165 | 39 | Lyon |
|
| DF | Griedge Mbock Bathy | 26 February 1995 | 85 | 8 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| DF | Sakina Karchaoui | 26 January 1996 | 79 | 2 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| DF | Élisa De Almeida | 11 January 1998 | 37 | 4 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| DF | Selma Bacha | 9 November 2000 | 36 | 2 | Lyon |
|
| DF | Maëlle Lakrar | 27 May 2000 | 22 | 3 | Real Madrid |
|
| DF | Estelle Cascarino | 5 February 1997 | 17 | 1 | Juventus |
|
| DF | Thiniba Samoura | 11 February 2004 | 3 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| DF | Lou Bogaert | 25 June 2004 | 1 | 0 | Paris FC |
|
| DF | Jade Le Guilly | 18 June 2002 | 1 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| DF | Alice Sombath | 16 October 2003 | 0 | 0 | Lyon |
|
|
|
||||||
| MF | Grace Geyoro | 2 July 1997 | 89 | 17 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| MF | Kenza Dali | 31 July 1991 | 74 | 13 | Aston Villa |
|
| MF | Amel Majri | 25 January 1993 | 74 | 11 | Lyon |
|
| MF | Sandie Toletti | 13 July 1995 | 60 | 3 | Real Madrid |
|
| MF | Oriane Jean-François | 14 August 2001 | 7 | 0 | Chelsea |
|
| MF | Margaux Le Mouël | 8 August 2001 | 2 | 0 | Paris FC |
|
|
|
||||||
| FW | Eugénie Le Sommer | 18 May 1989 | 196 | 93 | Lyon |
|
| FW | Kadidiatou Diani | 1 April 1995 | 108 | 28 | Lyon |
|
| FW | Delphine Cascarino | 5 February 1997 | 70 | 14 | San Diego Wave |
|
| FW | Marie-Antoinette Katoto | 1 November 1998 | 45 | 35 | Paris Saint-Germain |
|
| FW | Sandy Baltimore | 19 February 2000 | 35 | 4 | Chelsea |
|
| FW | Clara Matéo | 28 November 1997 | 30 | 5 | Paris FC |
|
| FW | Melvine Malard | 28 June 2000 | 22 | 6 | Manchester United |
|
| FW | Vicki Bècho | 3 October 2003 | 18 | 2 | Lyon |
|
| FW | Naomie Feller | 6 November 2001 | 6 | 1 | Real Madrid |
|
Other Players Called Up Recently
These players have also been called up to the squad in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Solène Durand | 20 November 1994 | 4 | 0 | Sassuolo |
2024 Summer Olympics |
| GK | Marie Petiteau | 12 June 2002 | 0 | 0 | Montpellier |
v.  Portugal, 5 December 2023 |
|
|
||||||
| DF | Maelys Mpomé | 23 February 2003 | 0 | 0 | Chelsea |
v. .svg){kind=small} Switzerland, 29 October 2024 |
| DF | Ève Périsset | 24 December 1994 | 61 | 4 | Chelsea |
2024 Summer Olympics |
| DF | Hillary Diaz | 24 June 2004 | 1 | 0 | Inter Milan |
v. Portugal, 5 December 2023 |
|
|
||||||
| MF | Amandine Henry | 28 September 1989 | 109 | 14 |  Toluca |
2024 Summer Olympics RET |
| MF | Léa Le Garrec | 9 July 1993 | 15 | 2 |  Al Qadsiah |
2024 Summer Olympics |
| MF | Inès Benyahia | 26 May 2003 | 0 | 0 | Lyon |
2024 Summer Olympics PRE |
|
|
||||||
| FW | Julie Dufour | 29 January 2001 | 8 | 0 | Paris FC |
v. Switzerland, 29 October 2024 |
| FW | Kelly Gago | 5 January 1999 | 2 | 1 | Nantes |
v. Switzerland, 29 October 2024 |
| FW | Cindy Caputo | 7 February 1999 | 2 | 0 | Saint-Étienne |
v. Switzerland, 29 October 2024 |
| FW | Louna Ribadeira | 18 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | Paris FC |
2024 Summer Olympics PRE |
| FW | Viviane Asseyi | 20 November 1993 | 66 | 14 | West Ham United |
v. Portugal, 5 December 2023 |
|
||||||
Past Tournament Squads
You can find information about past teams for these major tournaments:
|
|
|
Images for kids
-
The French team at the 2011 Women's World Cup before playing Germany in 2011.
See also
In Spanish: Selección femenina de fútbol de Francia para niños
- Sport in France
- Football in France
- Women's football in France
- Football in France
- France women's national under-19 football team
- France women's national under-17 football team
- FIFA Women's World Cup
- UEFA Women's Championship
