The Most Famous

SOCCER PLAYERS from France

This page contains a list of the greatest French Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 977 of which were born in France. This makes France the birth place of the 5th most number of Soccer Players behind United Kingdom, and Spain.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary French Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous French Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of French Soccer Players.

1. Zinedine Zidane (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 78.64, Zinedine Zidane is the most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 119 different languages on wikipedia.

Zinedine Yazid Zidane (French: Zinédine Yazid Zidane; French: [zinɛdin zidan]; Kabyle: Zineddin Lyazid Zidan; Arabic: زين الدين يزيد زيدان; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached La Liga club Real Madrid and is one of the most successful coaches in the world. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Zidane was a playmaker renowned for his elegance, vision, passing, and ball control. He received many individual accolades as a player, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998 Ballon d'Or. Zidane started his career at Cannes, before establishing himself as one of the best players in the French Ligue 1 at Bordeaux. In 1996, he moved to Italian club Juventus, where he won several trophies, including two Serie A titles. He moved to Real Madrid for a world-record fee at the time of €77.5 million in 2001, which remained a record for the next eight years. In Spain, Zidane won several trophies, including a La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League. In the 2002 Champions League final, he scored a left-foot volleyed winner that is considered one of the greatest goals in football history. In 2012 and 2017, respectively, Zidane was named in Real Madrid's and Juventus' greatest XI of all time. Capped 108 times by France, Zidane won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, scoring a brace in the final, and was named in the All-Star team. This triumph made him a national hero in France and he received the Legion of Honour in 1998. He won UEFA Euro 2000 and was named Player of the Tournament. He also received the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament at the 2006 World Cup, despite his infamous sending off in the final against Italy for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest. He retired as the fourth-most capped player in French history. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled by Pelé, and in the same year was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. Zidane is one of nine players to have won the World Cup, the Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or. He was the ambassador for Qatar's successful bid to stage the 2022 World Cup, the first Arab country to host the tournament. After retiring as a player, Zidane began his coaching career at Real Madrid Castilla. He remained in the position for two years, before managing the first team in 2016. In his initial three seasons, Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup twice each, as well as a La Liga title and a Supercopa de España. This success led to Zidane being named Best FIFA Men's Coach in 2017. He resigned in 2018, but returned to the club in 2019, and won another La Liga title and a Supercopa de España, before leaving again in 2021.

2. Michel Platini (b. 1955)

With an HPI of 78.26, Michel Platini is the 2nd most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 91 different languages.

Michel François Platini (French pronunciation: [miʃɛl fʁɑ̃swa platini]; born 21 June 1955) is a French football administrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, and came seventh in the FIFA Player of the Century vote. In recognition of his achievements, he was named a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1985 and became an Officer in 1998. As the president of UEFA in 2015 he was banned from involvement in football under FIFA's organisation, over ethics violations. The ban lasted until 2023. During his career, Platini played for the clubs Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus. Nicknamed Le Roi (The King) for his ability and leadership, he was a prolific goalscorer; he won the Serie A capocannoniere award three consecutive times between 1983 and 1985, and was the top scorer of Juventus's victorious 1984–85 European Cup campaign. Platini was a key player of the France national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top scorer and best player, and reached the semi-finals of the 1982 and 1986 World Cups. Together with midfielders Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana, he formed the carré magique (magic square) of the French team in the 1980s. Platini was his country's record goalscorer until 2007, and held the record for most goals scored (9) in the European Championship until being surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021, despite only appearing in the 1984 tournament. Following his retirement as a player, Platini was the France national team coach from 1988 to 1992, and was the co-organizer of the 1998 World Cup in France. In 2007, he became the first former player to be elected as the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). He also held the positions of chairman of FIFA's Technical and Development Committee and vice-president of the French Football Federation.

3. Raymond Kopa (1931 - 2017)

With an HPI of 75.03, Raymond Kopa is the 3rd most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 55 different languages.

Raymond Kopa (né Kopaszewski; 13 October 1931 – 3 March 2017) was a French professional footballer, integral to the France national team of the 1950s. At club level he was part of the legendary Real Madrid team of the 1950s, winning three European Cups. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Kopa was a forward or an attacking midfielder who was quick, agile and known for his dribbling, playmaking, and prolific scoring. In 1958, Kopa was awarded the Ballon d'Or. In 1970, he became the first football player to receive the Legion of Honour. In 2004, Pelé named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony.

4. Eric Cantona (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 70.83, Eric Cantona is the 4th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 66 different languages.

Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona (French: Éric; pronounced [e.ʁik dan.jɛl pjɛʁ kɑ̃.tɔ.na]; born 24 May 1966) is a French former professional footballer who is currently an actor. In his football career Eric Cantona was a physically strong, hard-working and tenacious player. He combined technical skill and creativity with power and goalscoring ability. Mostly utilised as a deep-lying forward, he was also capable of playing as a centre-forward, as a dedicated striker, as an attacking midfielder, or as a central midfielder. He was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004. Cantona played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United, before ending his career at Manchester United, with whom he won four Premier League titles in five years, including two League and FA Cup Doubles. He wore the iconic number 7 shirt at Manchester United and was known for turning up his collar. He is affectionately nicknamed "King Eric" by Manchester United fans. Cantona won league championships in England and France in seven of his last eight full seasons as a professional, and at least one trophy in eight of his last nine. At international level, he played for the France national team and scored 20 goals in 45 matches. He appeared at UEFA Euro 1992 and, in preparation for Euro 96, was appointed captain. In 2003, Cantona was voted as Manchester United's greatest-ever player by Inside United magazine. He was an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. At the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards in 2003, he was voted the Overseas Player of the Decade. Cantona was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021. Charismatic and outspoken, Cantona's achievements in football were set against fallings out with coaches and team-mates, and a poor disciplinary record throughout his career, including a 1995 conviction for an assault on an abusive spectator, for which he received a two-week prison sentence, reduced to community service on appeal, and an eight-month suspension from football – preventing him from participating at Euro 96. In 1997, Cantona unexpectedly announced his retirement from football at the age of 30. He has moved into a career in cinema, including roles in the films Elizabeth (1998), French Film (2008) and The Killer (2024). In 2010, he debuted as a stage actor in Face au Paradis, a play directed by his wife, Rachida Brakni. Cantona took an interest in the sport of beach soccer; as player-manager of the France national beach soccer team, he won the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

5. Lucien Laurent (1907 - 2005)

With an HPI of 69.97, Lucien Laurent is the 5th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Lucien Laurent (10 December 1907 – 11 April 2005) was a French footballer who played as a forward. Playing for France, at the 1930 World Cup he scored the first ever FIFA World Cup goal against Mexico.

6. Didier Deschamps (b. 1968)

With an HPI of 69.61, Didier Deschamps is the 6th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 68 different languages.

Didier Claude Deschamps (French pronunciation: [didje klod deʃɑ̃]; born 15 October 1968) is a French professional football manager and former player who has been managing the France national team since 2012. He played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, England and Spain, namely Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea and Valencia, as well as Nantes and Bordeaux. Nicknamed "the water-carrier" (French: le porteur d'eau), Deschamps was an intelligent and hard-working defensive midfielder who excelled at winning back possession and subsequently starting attacking plays, and also stood out for his leadership throughout his career. As a French international, he was capped on 103 occasions and took part at three UEFA European Football Championships and one FIFA World Cup, captaining his nation to victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. In addition to winning two Division 1 titles in 1990 and 1992, Deschamps was part of the Marseille squad that became the first French club to win the UEFA Champions League, a feat which the team achieved in 1993; with the Champions League victory, Deschamps became the youngest captain ever to lead his team to win the title. With Juventus he played three Champions League finals in a row between 1996 and 2000, winning the title in 1996. With the Turin side, he also won the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, as well as three Serie A titles, among other trophies. With Chelsea, he won the 1999–2000 FA Cup, and also reached another Champions League final with Valencia in 2001, before retiring later that season. After Franz Beckenbauer and followed by Iker Casillas, he was only the second captain in the history of football to have lifted the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy, and the European Championship trophy. As a manager, Deschamps began his career with Monaco, and helped the club to win the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003, and reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final, being named Ligue 1 Manager of the Year in 2004. During the 2006–07 season, he helped his former club Juventus win the Serie B title and return to Serie A following their relegation due to their involvement in the 2006 Calciopoli Scandal the previous season. He subsequently managed another one of his former clubs, Marseille, where he won the Ligue 1 title during the 2009–10 season, as well as three consecutive Coupe de la Ligue titles between 2010 and 2012, and consecutive Trophée des Champions titles in 2010 and 2011. On 8 July 2012, Deschamps was named as the new manager of the France national team. He led the team to the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the final of UEFA Euro 2016, victory in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and a back-to-back final appearance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Upon winning the World Cup in 2018, Deschamps became the third man to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager, alongside Mário Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer—both of whom died in January 2024 two days apart, leaving Deschamps the only living man to have reached the milestone. Deschamps follows Beckenbauer as only the second to do so as captain.

7. Thierry Henry (b. 1977)

With an HPI of 68.81, Thierry Henry is the 7th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 88 different languages.

Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi danjɛl ɑ̃ʁi] AHN-ree; born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and is widely regarded as the greatest player in Premier League history. Henry was known for his finishing, elegance, dribbling and close control, speed, and chance-creating. He was runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or in 2003 and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. He was named the FWA Footballer of the Year a record three times, the PFA Players' Player of the Year a joint-record two times, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six consecutive times. He was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI once and the UEFA Team of the Year five times. In 2004, Henry was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Henry made his professional debut with Monaco in 1994 before signing for defending Serie A champions Juventus. However, limited playing time, coupled with disagreements with the club's hierarchy, led to him signing for Premier League club Arsenal for £11 million in 1999. Under long-time mentor and coach Arsène Wenger, Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions. Generally viewed as Arsenal's best ever player, he won the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times, won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles with the club, including one during an unbeaten Invincible season. Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain, leading them to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. Henry transferred to Barcelona in 2007 and in the 2008–09 season, he was a key part of the club's historic treble when they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. In 2010, he joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls and returned to Arsenal on loan from January to February 2012, before retiring in 2014. Henry had success with France, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000, and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was named French Player of the Year a record five times, named to the UEFA Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament, awarded both the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and named to the 2006 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. In October 2007, he became his country's record goalscorer, a record he held until December 2022. After amassing 123 appearances and 51 goals, Henry retired from international football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After retiring, Henry transitioned into coaching. He began coaching Arsenal's youth teams in February 2015, in tandem with his work as a pundit for Sky Sports. In 2016, he was appointed as an assistant coach at Belgium, before assuming the role as the head coach at Monaco in 2018. He was relieved of his duties at Monaco in January 2019 and returned to MLS less than a year later to manage Montréal Impact. He led Montréal to the playoffs in the 2020 season before departing in 2021, returning to his role as an assistant coach for Belgium for a year and a half. From August 2023 to August 2024, Henry would serve as manager of the France national under-21 team and the France Olympic team at the 2024 Summer Games, leading the team to a silver medal, losing to Spain in the final.

8. Laurent Blanc (b. 1965)

With an HPI of 68.73, Laurent Blanc is the 8th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 57 different languages.

Laurent Robert Blanc (French pronunciation: [lɔʁɑ̃ blɑ̃]; born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back and is the manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. He has the nickname Le Président, which was given to him following his stint at Marseille in tribute to his leadership skills. He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. Blanc played professional football for numerous clubs, including Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United, often operating in the sweeper position. He is also a former French international, earning 97 caps and scoring 16 international goals. He represented the country in several international tournaments, including the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, both of which France won. On 28 June 1998, Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay. He began his managerial career at Bordeaux in 2007, winning domestic honours including the 2008–09 Ligue 1 title. After leaving Bordeaux in 2010 he became the manager of the France national team until 2012, replacing Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and leading the country to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2012. In 2013, he was hired by Paris Saint-Germain, winning further honours. After three successful years with Paris Saint-Germain he left the club in June 2016. Following more than six years without coaching in Europe, he was appointed manager by Lyon in October 2022.

9. Kylian Mbappé (b. 1998)

With an HPI of 68.06, Kylian Mbappé is the 9th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 109 different languages.

Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the France national team. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is known for his dribbling, finishing, and speed. Born in Paris and raised in nearby Bondy, Mbappé began his senior club career in 2015 with Monaco, where he won the Ligue 1 title in the 2016–17 season. In 2017, aged 18, Mbappé signed for Paris Saint-Germain on an eventual permanent transfer worth €180 million, making him the second-most-expensive player and most expensive teenage player of all time. With PSG, he won six Ligue 1 titles and four Coupes de France, including a domestic quadruple in the 2019–20 season, while also leading the club to its first ever UEFA Champions League final in 2020. He is the club's all-time top goalscorer, ranks third in assists, and is the seventh-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 history. In 2024, after several years of speculation, Mbappé joined Real Madrid on a free transfer. He won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in the first half of his debut season, scoring in both finals. Breaking the record for the most goals scored by a Real Madrid player in their debut season, he also won the Pichichi Trophy and his first European Golden Shoe. At international level, Mbappé made his senior debut for France in 2017 at the age of 18. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup, as well as the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup final. He finished as the joint second-highest goalscorer as France won the tournament; he went on to win the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his performances. He also helped France to victory in the UEFA Nations League in 2021, receiving the top scorer award in the finals. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, France reached the final again; Mbappé won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball and set the record for the most goals scored in World Cup final matches by scoring a hat-trick. Mbappé is one of only two players to have scored in two consecutive World Cup finals (the other being Brazil's Vavá in 1958 and 1962). Mbappé finished in third place for the 2023 Ballon d'Or and was runner-up for the 2022 The Best FIFA Men's Player award. He was named to the FIFA FIFPro World11 in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023, the UEFA Team of the Year in 2018 and the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season in 2016–17, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22. He was awarded the Golden Boy in 2017, the Kopa Trophy in 2018, and was shortlisted for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2019 and 2023. Mbappé has been named Ligue 1 Player of the Year a record five times, and has finished as the Ligue 1 top scorer for a record six seasons; in the 2021–22 season, he became the first player to finish as both Ligue 1 top scorer and top assist provider. In 2023, he was named as one of the Time's 100 most influential people in the world, and was ranked third on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes.

10. Franck Ribéry (b. 1983)

With an HPI of 67.50, Franck Ribéry is the 10th most famous French Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 83 different languages.

Franck Henry Pierre Ribéry (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃k ʁibeʁi]; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest wingers in the history of the sport. Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club FC Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two clubs (Alès and Brest), Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club Metz in 2004. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 to join Galatasaray, where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club, helping OM reach the final of the Coupe de France in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he won nine Bundesliga titles (at the time a Bundesliga record), six DFB-Pokal, one UEFA Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup, which include five doubles and one treble, amounting to a then club record of 24 titles over twelve seasons. His form for Bayern in the club's 2012–13 treble winning season saw him nominated alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the three-man shortlist for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or. During his long spell at Bayern, Ribéry was also known for his fruitful partnership with fellow winger Arjen Robben—together they were affectionately referred to by the nickname Robbery. He left Bayern in summer 2019, and subsequently joined Italian side Fiorentina, while Robben retired from football. After two years in Florence, Ribery joined Salernitana, the final club of his career, before retiring in 2022. Between 2006 and 2014, Ribéry played for the France national team 81 times. He played at two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2010) and two UEFA European Championships (2008 and 2012). Individually, Ribéry is a three-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and also won the German award of Footballer of the Year, becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year and declared the Young Player of the Year in France. In 2013, Ribéry won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In 2013, he was also ranked fourth in The Guardian's list of the best players in the world. He is currently in charge as a technical collaborator of Italian Serie B club Salernitana, which was also his final club as a player.

People

Pantheon has 977 people classified as French soccer players born between 1876 and 2006. Of these 977, 877 (89.76%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living French soccer players include Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, and Eric Cantona. The most famous deceased French soccer players include Raymond Kopa, Lucien Laurent, and Henri Michel. As of April 2024, 977 new French soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, and Raymond Kopa.