Wales v France
France have been FIFA World Cup winners on two occasions, in 1998 and 2018, and have qualified for the FIFA World Cup tournament 16 times including the 1938 and 1998 tournaments as hosts.
They have also won the UEFA European Championships twice, in 1984 and 2000 having qualified on 10 occasions including 1984 and 2016 as hosts. They also hosted the inaugural tournament in 1960 having secured their place as one of the four finalists.
The Fédération Française de Football (FFF) was formed in 1919 in order to take over the running of French football from the national sporting body, the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA).
The USFAF were instrumental in founding FIFA with the new governing body being formed at its headquarters at the Rue Saint Honoré 229 in Paris on 21 May 1904.
France played its first international in 1904, drawing 3-3 with Belgium in Brussels.
France became Wales' first opponents from outside the British Isles when the Football Association of Wales accepted an invitation from the Fédération Française de Football to play a friendly international in Paris in 1933. Welsh captain, Tom Griffiths of Middlesbrough, put Wales ahead before Jean Nicolas equalised for the French.
Neco Williams became the 19th player to be sent off when playing for Wales in the friendly international in Nice in 2021.
Wales and France have never met in a competitive international.
Head to Head
| P | W | D | L | F | A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| ALL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
Match details
| no. | date | score | scorers (wales) | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 151 | 25/05/1933 | France 1-1 Wales | T Griffiths | Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris | Fr |
| 170 | 20/05/1939 | France 2-1 Wales | Astley | Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris | Fr |
| 199 | 14/05/1953 | France 6-1 Wales | I Allchurch | Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris | Fr |
| 372 | 02/06/1982 | France 0-1 Wales | Rush | Stadium Municipal de Toulouse, Toulouse | Fr |
| 641 | 10/11/2017 | France 2-0 Wales | Stade de France, Paris | Fr | |
| 673 | 02/06/2021 | France 3-0 Wales | Stade Allianz Riviera, Nice | Fr |
FIFA World Cup winners (2): 1998, 2018
FIFA World Cup runners-up (2): 2006, 2022
FIFA World Cup third place (2): 1958, 1986
UEFA European Championship winners (2): 1984, 2000
UEFA European Championship runners-up (1): 2016
Welsh players to have made their debut against France
Five Welsh players have made their international debut against Finland.
- Leslie Jones - 25 May 1933
- John Williams - 20 May 1939
- Ethan Ampadu - 10 November 2017
- David Brooks - 10 November 2017
- Ruben Colwill - 02 June 2021
