France–Germany football rivalry

The football rivalry between France and Germany is one of the biggest and most heated association football rivalries in Europe. The teams are among the most successful national teams in the world. Previously, it was mostly a one-sided phenomenon since most German fans considered the Netherlands or Italy to be their traditional footballing rivals until the rise of France from the 1990s onward, but the rivalry really began during the UEFA European Championship in the 2010s decade after a series of mere friendlies in the 1990s to 2000s.^{[citation needed]}

France–Germany football rivalry

Location	Europe
Teams	France  Germany
First meeting	15 March 1931 Friendly France 1–0 Germany
Latest meeting	8 June 2025 UEFA Nations League finals Germany 0–2 France
Statistics
Meetings total	35
Most wins	France (16)
Top scorer	Antoine Griezmann (5 goals)
All-time series	France: 16 Draw: 8 Germany: 11
Largest victory	West Germany 5–1 France Friendly 27 September 1967
France Germany

Background

Main articles: French–German enmity and Christmas truce

The root of France–Germany rivalry could have dated back from the old tensions between France and German Empire after the capture of Paris by Prussian Army in 1870.^[1] Since the end of the war, enmity between France and Germany increased, resulted with military arm race and eventually, set up the World War I. During the beginning of war, a peaceful moment, the Christmas truce, where a peaceful football match between French, British and German soldiers occurred.^[2] This was considered the first unofficial match between France and Germany.

The countries first played each other in an official international in 1931 when France defeated the Weimar Republic. However, rivalry soon increased with the German invasion of France, and antagonism persisted until the end of World War II.^[3][4] One of the most notable meetings between the two countries came in the 1982 World Cup semi-final, which ended 3–3 after extra time before West Germany won in a penalty shoot-out.^[5] Michel Platini himself declared the match as his "most beautiful game".^[6]

Matches

Number	Date	Location	Competition	Game	Results
1	15 March 1931	Paris	Friendly	France – Weimar Republic	1–0
2	19 March 1933	Berlin	Friendly	Weimar Republic – France	3–3
3	17 March 1935	Paris	Friendly	France – Germany	1–3
4	21 March 1937	Stuttgart	Friendly	Germany – France	4–0
5	5 October 1952	Paris	Friendly	France – West Germany	3–1
6	16 October 1954	Hannover	Friendly	West Germany – France	1–3
7	28 June 1958	Gothenburg	1958 FIFA World Cup	France – West Germany	6–3
8	26 October 1958	Paris	Friendly	France – West Germany	2–2
9	24 October 1962	Stuttgart	Friendly	West Germany – France	2–2
10	27 September 1967	Berlin	Friendly	West Germany – France	5–1
11	25 September 1968	Marseille	Friendly	France – West Germany	1–1
12	13 October 1973	Gelsenkirchen	Friendly	West Germany – France	2–1
13	23 February 1977	Paris	Friendly	France – West Germany	1–0
14	19 November 1980	Hannover	Friendly	West Germany – France	4–1
15	8 July 1982	Seville	1982 FIFA World Cup	West Germany – France	3–3 (5–4 p)
16	18 April 1984	Strasbourg	Friendly	France – West Germany	1–0
17	25 June 1986	Guadalajara	1986 FIFA World Cup	France – West Germany	0–2
18	12 August 1987	Berlin	Berlin Anniversary	West Germany – France	2–1
19	28 February 1990	Montpellier	Friendly	France – West Germany	2–1
20	1 June 1996	Stuttgart	Friendly	Germany – France	0–1
21	27 February 2001	Paris	Friendly	France – Germany	1–0
22	15 November 2003	Gelsenkirchen	Friendly	Germany – France	0–3
23	12 November 2005	Paris	Friendly	France – Germany	0–0
24	29 February 2012	Bremen	Friendly	Germany – France	1–2
25	6 February 2013	Paris	Friendly	France – Germany	1–2
26	4 July 2014	Rio de Janeiro	2014 FIFA World Cup	France – Germany	0–1
27	13 November 2015	Paris	Friendly	France – Germany	2–0
28	7 July 2016	Marseille	UEFA Euro 2016	Germany – France	0–2
29	14 November 2017	Cologne	Friendly	Germany – France	2–2
30	6 September 2018	Munich	2018–19 UEFA Nations League	Germany – France	0–0
31	16 October 2018	Paris	2018–19 UEFA Nations League	France – Germany	2–1
32	15 June 2021	Munich	UEFA Euro 2020	France – Germany	1–0
33	12 September 2023	Dortmund	Friendly	Germany – France	2–1
34	23 March 2024	Lyon	Friendly	France – Germany	0–2
35	8 June 2025	Stuttgart	2025 UEFA Nations League Finals	Germany – France	0–2

Major encounters

1958 FIFA World Cup

28 June 1958

17:00 (CET)

France	6–3	West Germany
Fontaine 16', 36', 78', 89' Kopa 27' (pen.) Douis 50'	Report	Cieslarczyk 18' Rahn 52' Schäfer 84'

Ullevi, Gothenburg

Attendance: 32,483

Referee: Juan Regis Brozzi (Argentina)

1982 FIFA World Cup

Main article: West Germany v France (1982 FIFA World Cup)

8 July 1982

21:00 CEST

West Germany	3–3 (a.e.t.)	France
Littbarski 17' Rummenigge 102' Fischer 108'	Report	Platini 26' (pen.) Trésor 92' Giresse 98'
Penalties
Kaltz Breitner Stielike Littbarski Rummenigge Hrubesch	5–4	Giresse Amoros Rocheteau Six Platini Bossis

Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville

Attendance: 70,000

Referee: Charles Corver (Netherlands)

1986 FIFA World Cup

25 June 1986

12:00 CST

France	0–2	West Germany
	Report	Brehme 9' Völler 89'

Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara

Attendance: 45,000

Referee: Luigi Agnolin (Italy)

2014 FIFA World Cup

4 July 2014

13:00 BRT (UTC−3)

France	0–1	Germany
	Report	Hummels 13'

Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

Attendance: 74,240

Referee: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)

UEFA Euro 2016

7 July 2016 (2016-07-07)

21:00

Germany	0–2	France
	Report	Griezmann 45+2' (pen.), 72'

Stade Vélodrome, Marseille

Attendance: 64,078^[7]

Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)

2018–19 UEFA Nations League

6 September 2018 (2018-09-06)

20:45

Germany	0–0	France
	Report

Allianz Arena, Munich

Attendance: 67,485^[8]

Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)

---

16 October 2018 (2018-10-16)

20:45

France	2–1	Germany
Griezmann 62', 80' (pen.)	Report	Kroos 14' (pen.)

Stade de France, Saint-Denis

Attendance: 77,300^[8]

Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)

UEFA Euro 2020

15 June 2021 (2021-06-15)

21:00

France	1–0	Germany
Hummels 20' (o.g.)	Report

Allianz Arena, Munich

Attendance: 13,000^[9]

Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)

2025 UEFA Nations League Finals

8 June 2025 (2025-06-08)

15:00

Germany	0–2	France
	Report	Mbappé 45' Olise 84'

MHPArena, Stuttgart

Attendance: 51,313^[10]

Referee: Ivan Kružliak (Slovakia)

Statistics

All-time top goalscorers

As of 8 June 2025

Nation	Player	Goals	Years
	Antoine Griezmann	5	2014–2024
	Just Fontaine	4	1958
	Rudi Völler	3	1982–1994
	Gerd Müller	3	1966–1974

Overall record

As of 8 June 2025

Competition	Matches[11]	Result			Goals
		France	Draws	Germany	France	Germany
FIFA World Cup	4	1	1*	2	9	9
UEFA European Championship	2	2	0	0	3	0
UEFA Nations League	3	2	1	0	4	1
All competitions	9	5	2	2	16	10
Friendly	26	11	6	9	37	40
All matches	35	16	8	11	53	50

Note 1: * Germany overcame France in 1982 FIFA World Cup semi-final match via penalty shoot-out.

Trophies

Competition	Titles
	Germany	France
FIFA World Cup	4	2
FIFA Confederations Cup	1	2
UEFA Euros	3	2
UEFA Nations League	0	1
Summer Olympics	1	1
All competitions	9	8

See also

• France–Germany relations