France are amongst the leading contenders to win Euro 2024 after Didier Deschamps' side stormed through qualification unbeaten to book their spot in Germany.
Les Bleus have found themselves experiencing final joy and heartbreak in their previous three major tournament appearances, with their 2022 World Cup final loss to Argentina arguably the greatest showpiece game in the tournament's distinguished history.
Deschamps' charges were unable to defend the world crown they secured in Russia in 2018 and they have also fallen short on the European stage in recent years.
Defeat to Portugal in the 2016 European Championship final on home soil was a bitter blow, and they bowed out in the Round of 16 in 2020 after a shock penalty-shootout loss to Switzerland.
Yet they are among the clear leading lights for the trophy in Germany, after winning seven and drawing one of their eight qualifying games, scoring 29 goals and conceding just three, two of which came in their final dead-rubber match against Greece.
Their progress to the knockout rounds, though, was hardly as smooth as expected, with Kylian Mbappe suffering a broken nose in their opening group game against Austria, before returning to score his first European Championship goal in the final group 1-1 draw with Poland that meant Les Bleus surprisingly finished second in the pool.
They beat Belgium in the Round of 16 before edging a penalty shootout win over Portugal in the quarterfinals.
MORE: Euro 2024 schedule and results, updated LIVE | Who will win Euro 2024? Latest odds and predictions | How to watch all the Euro 2024 action
How many times have France won the Euros?
France have won the European Championship title twice in their history, with only Spain and Germany winning more (three times each).
Michel Platini inspired hosts France to glory in their first title win in 1984 after they had failed to qualify for the previous five tournaments. They beat Spain 2-0 in the final in Paris.
However, they struggled to replicate that result prior to the dominance of Les Bleus in the late 1990s.
Aime Jacquet's side won the 1998 World Cup on home soil, led by the genius of Zinedine Zidane, before his replacement Roger Lemerre guided the team to European glory over Italy two years later.
𝗘𝗨𝗥𝗢 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 🏆
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) July 2, 2022
Il y a 2️⃣2️⃣ ans, les Bleus célébraient leur titre de Champions d’Europe 🤩#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/eq7cDQm1um
France looked set to continue their strong record as tournament hosts in 2016, but despite the early exit of an injured Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal dug deep to seal a shock final win at the Stade de France.
Last time, they were again among the favorites before that surprise penalty shootout loss to Switzerland, following a 3-3 draw in Bucharest.
France European Championship results
France have qualified for the past eight European Championships since 1992 with two final appearances and one title in that run.
| Year | Host | Wins | Draws* | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded |
| 1960 | France | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 1984 | France | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 1992 | Sweden | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1996 | England | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| 2000 | Belgium/Netherlands | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 |
| 2004 | Portugal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| 2008 | Austria/Switzerland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 2012 | Poland/Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2016 | France | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 |
| 2020 | Europe | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| 2024 | Germany | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
*Draws include knockout-stage games decided by penalty shootouts level after 90 minutes plus 30 minutes of extra time.
France European Championship record
| Year | Host | Stage Reached | Eliminated By |
| 1960 | France | Semifinal | Yugoslavia |
| 1964 | Spain | Did not qualify | — |
| 1968 | Italy | Did not qualify | — |
| 1972 | Belgium | Did not qualify | — |
| 1976 | Yugoslavia | Did not qualify | — |
| 1980 | Italy | Did not qualify | — |
| 1984 | France | Champions | — |
| 1988 | West Germany | Did not qualify | — |
| 1992 | Sweden | Group Stage | Sweden/Denmark |
| 1996 | England | Semifinal | Czech Republic |
| 2000 | Belgium/Netherlands | Champions | — |
| 2004 | Portugal | Quarterfinals | Greece |
| 2008 | Austria/Switzerland | Group Stage | Netherlands/Italy |
| 2012 | Poland/Ukraine | Quarterfinal | Spain |
| 2016 | France | Runners Up | Portugal |
| 2020 | Europe | Round of 16 | Switzerland |
How did France qualify for Euro 2024?
France were rarely forced out of second gear in qualifying despite being drawn in a tough group alongside the Netherlands, Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
Convincing wins over Ronald Koeman's Oranje were the standout results, alongside gritty showings against Greece and Ireland and a remarkable 14-0 defeat of Gibraltar. They won every game until a 2-2 draw with Greece on the final matchday, when their place as group winners was already assured.
