France has a special talent for football, which is why they are two-time world champions and two-time European champions. Truly memorable players have worn the France jersey: Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Thierry Henry, Éric Cantona, Jean Tigana and Lilian Thuram are some of the most memorable, as well as an example of the cultural and ethnic melting pot that is France.

Les Bleus, as the French national team is known, are always favourites in any competition, as are their outfits. That's why we'll take a look at the history of France's jersey and crest, showing their most famous designs and the best anecdotes from over 100 years of history. 

History of the France jersey and coat of arms

Since their first official match against Belgium in 1904, the French team's outfit has undergone many transformations. And although they are known as Les Bleus, the famous blue jersey was not established as the main kit until 1919 with the creation of the French Football Federation. It may seem surprising, but France's first outfit was white until then and the now legendary blue jersey was relegated to the second model.

The jersey

To start with a curiosity about the history of France's jersey, the colours of their first three outfits are blue, white and red like the colours of the French flag. They usually wear their first outfit, for which they are best known and remembered, with a blue jersey, white shorts and red socks. But sometimes, outside France, they wear their second all-white suit or their third suit with a red shirt, blue shorts and blue socks.

As for the brands that created France's jerseys, the French brand Le Coq Sportif was responsible for the suits from 1966 to 1971, when they reached an agreement with Adidas, the brand that created some of France's most iconic jerseys. Adidas, for example, created the shirts that won the 1984 and 2000 European Championships and the 1998 World Cup. Of course, the brand with the three stripes is the most remembered in the history of France's jerseys, but since 2011 the French Football Federation has signed a contract worth millions for Nike to be the new supplier of the models.

The periods with the different brands:

• 1938 - 1966 Allen Sport
• 1966 - 1971 Le Coq Sportif
• 1972 - 2010 Adidas
• 2011 - 2026 Nike 

The blue jersey:

Obviously, the blue jersey is the emblem and soul of the French team, which is why they are nicknamed Les Bleus. The first game in which the French national team wore the traditional blue jersey, white shorts and red socks was against England in 1908. But it wasn't until 1919, with the creation of the French Football Federation, that the blue jersey became the first official outfit.

The white jersey:

It was the main outfit until 1919, when it was relegated to the team's third jersey. As a curiosity, between 1919 and 1960 it was only worn on one occasion and that was against Scotland in 1948. From the decade of the 1960s onwards, the increasingly frequent television broadcasts of football matches forced teams to have a change of pattern in contrast, as television was in black and white. It was then that the white jersey of the French national team became the second official outfit.

The red jersey:

Historically, the red jersey was the second suit, with its white shorts and blue or red socks, depending on the occasion. But since the 1960s it has been displaced as the third kit and has only been worn on a few occasions. One of them, quite remembered, is in 2008 in a friendly against Spain, with the curiosity that the official model of Spain is also red and, on that occasion, played in yellow.

The coat of arms

The coat of arms of the French national team includes a Gallic Rooster, one of the symbols of the country and which has represented the French nation since the Renaissance. In its evolution, three eras can be distinguished in terms of design, but always remaining faithful to the Gallic Rooster. In 1998 a star was added after winning the first World Cup and in 2018 the second star was added. It has always been possible to see the initials of the French Football Federation.

The most iconic jerseys of the French national team

1. France 1919

The first blue suit of the French national team and for which they are nicknamed Les Bleus.

2. France World Cup 1958

With this outfit, France played the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, reaching the semi-finals when they were eliminated by Brazil. But the truly epic anecdote of the French national team in that World Cup is the 13 goals scored by the recalled Just Fontaine and thus leading (along with Ronaldo with 15 goals for Brazil and Gerd Müller with 14 for Germany) the lists of top scorers in a World Cup. In our shop you can get the jersey of France in the 1958 World Cup.

3. France World Cup 1966

The 1966 World Cup was held in England. The French team did not make it past the first round, but their legendary V-neck jersey marked an era. You can also get the France 1966 World Cup jersey in our shop.

4. France Euro 1972

The first jersey that Adidas designed for the French national team is a classic that now looks very vintage. You can get a replica of the France jersey in our shop.

5. France World Cup 1978

The strangest jersey ever worn by the French national team was at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, when they had to wear the jerseys of a lowly Argentine team. The story goes that FIFA made a mistake and both France and Hungary turned up for the game in their second suits, both white, so the solution was for France to wear the green and white kit of Atletico Kimberley.

6. France World Cup 1982

Naranjito's famous World Cup, played in Spain and in which the French team reached the semi-finals wearing this shirt.

7. France Euro 1984

The 1984 European Championship took place in France and, as hosts, their team managed to win the cup in a hard-fought final against Spain. Michel Platini was the top scorer of the tournament.

8. France World Cup 1986

At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, the French national team took a well-deserved third place in this classic Adidas jersey.

9. France Euro 1992

The 1992 European Championship was held in Sweden and the French team was eliminated in the first round while wearing this shirt.

10. France World Cup 1994

The 1994 World Cup in the United States is one of the most memorable, as is this France jersey that Adidas designed for the occasion.

11. France World Cup 1998

In 1998 the French national team was playing the World Cup at home, so Adidas set about creating this legendary jersey with which France won the World Cup for the first time.

12. France Euro 2000

With this outfit, the French team won the cup in a hard-fought final against Italy at Euro 2000, which was played jointly in Belgium and the Netherlands.

13. France World Cup 2006

During the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the national team wore this beautiful jersey and reached the final, losing on penalties to Italy.

14. France Euro 2016

Hosting Euro 2016, the French national team managed to reach the final in this jersey, although they were unlucky and lost to Portugal.

15. France World Cup 2018

With this jersey, France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia, in a hard-fought final against Croatia to win their second World Cup.

⚽ Check out the retro France jerseys we have in the Retrofootball shop.