Famous France soccer players have always wowed football fans around the world with their skills. It is difficult to list all the names of famous France soccer players, so here are the top 10 famous France soccer players.
1. Michel Platini
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Le Roi (The King), aka Michel Platini, is at the top of the list of French football players because he is one of the most well-known players in football history. He played as an attacking midfielder for various clubs in France and Italy, as well as the French national team.
From 1983 to 1985, he won the Ballon d'Or and the Serie A capocannoniere three times in a row for leading Juventus in goals scored.
Then, in response, he received the honorific title of Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur. In 1998, he was promoted to the rank of officer.
He was a member of the French national team and one of the four midfielders that made up the magic square.
Later, in 2007, he was elected the sixth president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
He served as the French Football Federation's vice president the year before and coached the French national team from 1988 to 1992.
Watch more : Top 10 Goals - Michel Platini
2. Didier Deschamps
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Didier Deschamps, a defensive midfielder for elite European teams like Marseille, Chelsea, Valencia, and Juventus, is the next name on the Notable French Soccer Players list.
Didier was a member of Marseille, which in 1992–93 became the first – and is still the only–French team to win the UEFA Champions League. Additionally, he won it as the youngest captain ever.
He was team captain when France won the World Cup in 1998 and the EUFA European Championship (Euro) in 2000.
Didier has been managing the French national team since 2012, and he helped them win the 2018 FIFA World Cup and place second in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He became the second captain after Franz Beckenbauer to win it as both a player and a manager with this victory, one of only three people to accomplish this feat.
3. Just Fontaine
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Just Fontaine, a former forward born in Morocco and one of the best players for the France national team, has played for USM Casablanca, Nice, and Stade de Reims.
He was Reims's leading goal scorer, tallying 121 goals throughout six seasons while also taking home the Ligue 1 title in 1958 and 1960.
With 13 goals in 6 games, Fontaine scored the most by a single player in a FIFA World Cup, winning the 1958 edition with the most goals ever. He received the Golden Boot for his accomplishment.
Along with Lionel Messi, he is tied for fourth on the list of top scorers from the FIFA World Cup.
In 2003, the French Football Federation honored Fontaine as the most significant French player of the previous 50 years.
4. Zinedine Zidane
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Zinedine Zidane, affectionately referred to as Zizou, is one of the greatest French soccer players that 90s kids have grown up watching.
He played as an attacking midfielder for Real Madrid, Juventus, and Bordeaux.
He also competed for France's national team, helping them win the 1998 FIFA World Cup with two goals in the championship game. He received the Legion of Honor in the same year.
He was recognized as the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003 for his abilities and tactics.
Only eight players have won the World Cup, Champions League, and Ballon d'Or. He is one of them.
In time, he developed into one of the top coaches. Real Madrid won their 11th and 12th Champions League championships during his first two seasons as coach, in 2016 and 2017.
He became the second manager to accomplish this feat in his first two management seasons and the seventh person overall to win the championship as a player and a coach.
With this record, he wasn't surprised to win the Best FIFA Men's Coach award in 2017.
Watch more : Zinedine Zidane Top 15 Crazy Goals
5. Arsène Wenger
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Compared to a French football player, Arsène Wenger, also known as Le Professeur, had a more accomplished and illustrious managerial career.
He is best known for managing Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, making him the most successful and longest-serving manager in the club's history.
Between 1998 and 2002, he led Arsenal to Premier League and FA Cup victories. They again captured the league championship in 2004 thanks to an undefeated campaign.
Additionally, they made their first-ever Champions League final appearance in 2006 but lost to Barcelona.
In 2002, he received the Légion d'honneur; in 2003, the Order of the British Empire (OBE) named him an Honorary Officer.
He currently serves as FIFA's Global Football Development Chief.
6. Thierry Henry
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Striker Thierry Henry is among the top ten most well-known French soccer players. From 1999 to 2007, he spent most of his prime years with Premier League club Arsenal. But he had also played for other groups, including Monaco and Juventus. He then went to Barcelona before returning on loan to Arsenal.
Thierry and Zidane were members of the 1998 FIFA World Cup champion national team, which they also used to win the 2000 EUFA Euro Cup.
In 2007, he overtook Cristiano Ronaldo as the top goal scorer in the nation, a title he held until the just-completed 2022 World Cup when Olivier Giroud passed him.
Given his impeccable skills on the club and international levels, Thierry was named French Player of the Year five times.
Thierry coached the Arsenal youth team and worked as a sports commentator after he retired from playing professional football. He serves as the Belgian national team's assistant coach at the moment.
Thierry Henry is still regarded as one of the greatest strikers in football history and has received numerous honors, including four Golden Boots in the Premier League. He ranks among the most well-known French people.
Watch more : 12 Times Thierry Henry Shocked The World
7. Eric Cantona
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When listing the most famous France soccer players, it's hard to forget one of the greatest players of his generation, Eric Cantona.
He was a powerhouse who could play many roles on the field, from striker to center-forward and even central midfielder.
A notoriously controversial player, Eric didn't think before acting, displaying his anger by punching his goalkeeper, throwing the ball at the referee, and kung-fu kicking the opponent's fan.
Before joining Manchester United and retiring, Eric played for clubs like Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, and Leeds United.
He is thought to have contributed to the success of Manchester United in the 1990s as one of its key figures.
Cantona won consecutive English top-division championships with different clubs in his first season at Manchester United, making him the first player to do so.
He captured three league crowns with them, including two double victories in the FA Cup.
Cantona has skills outside of football, and while most well-known footballers immediately consider coaching after their playing careers, he chose a different path.
After leaving the football field, he turned to directing, producing, and acting. He has performed in films like French Film and Looking for Eric.
Later, as a player-manager, he developed a passion for beach soccer and contributed to France's victory at the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
8. Kylian Mbappé
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The star of the recently concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappé, is among the best French footballers of the current generation.
This forward was born in Paris and has represented his country since he was just 17 years old. He has only ever played for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
When the latter purchased Mbappé at 18, he became the second-most expensive player and the most expensive teenager.
He has received top goal scorer honors, been named Ligue 1 Player of the Year three times, and won four league championships. In addition, he is the second-highest goal scorer for PSG all-time.
He tied Pelé for the record of the youngest French player to score at a World Cup when he was selected to play for France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also became the second teenager to score in the World Cup finals.
He also won the FIFA World Cup's Best Young Player award after a brilliant performance that made him the best French player of the year.
By scoring three goals and a go-ahead penalty in the championship match, Mbappé set a record for most goals in a World Cup final and won the Golden Boot award for the 2022 tournament.
Mbappé is a young football player whose career is just beginning. The world is eager to see what this French superstar will become, and many think he is on the verge of becoming the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
He is regarded as one of the best players in the world right now.
Watch more : Kylian Mbappe 2022
9. Patrick Vieira
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Regarding French football players, Patrick Vieira is one of his era's best midfielders. He demonstrated his talent at Cannes and AC Milan, which helped him land a position at Arsenal, where he spent most of his prime years. Following his time at Arsenal, he moved to Italy and played for Juventus and Inter Milan. He eventually left Manchester City in 2011 and started a coaching career. He previously served as the head coach of New York City FC, Nice, and later Crystal Palace, where he is still employed today.
Patrick spent 12 years as a member of the French national team, and he even served as team captain for a while. He participated in the 1998 World Cup winning squad with Deschamps, Zidane, and Henry Thierry and was a 2006 World Cup runner-up squad member. He was also a member of the victorious Euro 2000 squad.
10. N'Golo Kanté
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If Vieira were one of the top midfielders in his era, N'Golo Kanté, a native of Paris, would be his replacement.Kanté is the second player after Cantona to win two consecutive Premier League Championships with two different clubs, having done so with Chelsea and his current club, Leicester City, in 2016.
He has won almost all of Chelsea's trophies and championships while playing for the team in the FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Champions League. Moreover, Kanté received Premier League Player of the Year honors in 2016.
He was named French Player of the Year in 2017, and a year later, he played a significant role in the national team's victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Watch more : Legendary N'Golo Kante Moments