A historic first for France

France became world champions for the first time in their history on 12 July 1998, beating four-time winners Brazil 3-0 in the Final to claim the famous FIFA World Cup™ trophy on home soil. Now, 14 years later, FIFA.com looks back on the milestone victory with former captain Didier Deschamps. After missing out on both the 1990 and 1994 editions of the FIFA World Cup, the pressure was on Zinedine Zidane and Co. to perform in front of their home fans. In an exclusive interview, Deschamps recalls the "tough preparations" ahead of the tournament and speaks fondly about the magical events that followed. After three group stage wins, France pushed past Paraguay in the Round of 16 thanks to Laurent Blanc's Golden Goal, before ousting Italy on penalties in the quarters. After coming from behind to beat Croatia in the last four, Les Bleus left Brazil with no chance in the final as two Zidane headers paved the way to a memorable victory. Join FIFA.com and newly-appointed France coach Didier Deschamps for a recap of the 1998 FIFA World Cup France.