7 Best French Soccer Players Of All Time

France is famed for producing some of the greatest soccer players the sport has ever seen. 

Numerous Frenchman have taken the wider continental game by storm with a select band leading their country to both European Championship and World Cup glory! 

So who are the best French Soccer players of all-time?

Best French Soccer Players Of All Time

7. Jean-Pierre Papin

Across an incredible career, clinical forward Jean-Pierre Papin played 679 times for the likes of AC Milan and Bayern Munich, finding the net an impressive 356 times. 

As one of the best French Soccer players of all-time, Papin represented his country 54 times and scored 30 goals in the process. He famously shone alongside Michel Platini at the 1986 World Cup with two strikes as the French went on to finish third. 

6. Kylian Mbappe

Global superstar Kylian Mbappe is already one of the best French Soccer players of all-time. He has played for French sides Monaco and PSG, scoring over 275 club goals and all whilst still in his mid-twenties. 

Mbappe made his full international debut in 2017 and is quickly closing in on a century of caps. He often captains the national team, looking likely to become France’s top scorer and also won the World Cup in 2018 at the age of just 19. 

5. Just Fontaine

Just Fontaine featured as a striker for French league clubs Nice and Reims from 1953 to 1962, appearing 284 times and netting 258 goals. 

Amongst the best French Soccer players of all-time, Fontaine made only 21 international appearances and yet struck an impressive 30 times for his country. He came third in the 1958 Ballon d’Or and also scored a record 13 goals across just six games at the World Cup in Sweden that same year. 

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4. Raymond Kopa

Raymond Kopa is one of the best French Soccer players of all-time. The midfielder featured for some of the biggest clubs in European soccer including Reims and Spanish Giants Real Madrid where he won three consecutive European Cups.  

Kopa made his international debut in 1952, going on to claim 45 caps and also scoring 18 goals. He featured at both the 1952 and 1958 World Cups along with the 1960 European Championship. Kopa won the 1958 Ballon d’Or with FIFA’s prestigious annual trophy for the game’s best young talent even named after him. 

3. Thierry Henry

Amongst the best French Soccer players of all-time, dynamic forward Thierry Henry made his international debut in 1997, playing thirteen years for the national team and scoring 51 goals in 123 appearances. He was an integral part of France’s 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship winning sides. 

Henry played over 800 times for a host of huge European clubs including Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona whilst scoring a total of 366 times. He was runner up at the 2003 Ballon d’Or and remains Arsenal’s top scorer of all time with 228 goals.

2. Michel Platini

Centre Forward Michel Platini spent the majority of his playing career at Saint Etienne and Italian side Juventus, making a total of 580 club appearances whilst scoring 312 goals.

Platini is considered one of the best French Soccer players of all-time. He earned 72 caps for his country, scoring 41 times and was famously part of their 1984 European Championship winning team. Platini also won three consecutive Ballon d’Or honours between 1983 and 1985. 

1. Zinedine Zidane

Undoubtedly one of the best French Soccer players of all-time is legendary midfield playmaker Zinedine Zidane. He played in some of Europe’s top leagues for the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid. Zidane won Serie A titles, a La Liga trophy and the European Cup in 2002. 

Over the course of 108 caps, Zidane scored 31 goals including a brace during France’s 1998 World Cup final victory against Brazil and also helped them secure the European Championship two years later. He is regarded as perhaps France’s finest and most naturally gifted talent ever.