This summer promises to be hot for football enthusiasts. On the green fields of Germany, a grand battle of the continent's strongest national teams will unfold - the Euro 2024 championship. The French national team, with its powerful lineup and rich history in major tournaments, is considered the main favorite of the tournament. Bookmakers consider Didier Deschamps' team as one of the main contenders. Want to bet on the Euro 2024 winner? Download the Mostbet app for betting in Bangladesh, which offers good betting opportunities.
Before the start of Euro 2024, it makes sense to recall those who forged the successes of the "Les Bleus" with their goals over the decades. Here is the TOP-10 list of the best scorers in the history of the French national team.
In the late 80s and early 90s, one of the most prolific forwards for France was Jean-Pierre Papin. This striker played for "Marseille" for many years, scoring 182 times in all tournaments - the third-best result in the club's history. In 1991, Papin received the "Golden Ball" - the highest individual award in world football.
Just as many goals as Papin, the legendary forward Just Fontaine, nicknamed "Justo," scored in significantly fewer matches - only 21 games! His remarkable efficiency meant that Fontaine needed an average of 63 minutes to score against opponents.
A legend of world football, Zinedine Zidane achieved all possible trophies at the club level and scored 31 goals for the French national team. "Zizou" debuted for the "Les Bleus" in 1994, and four years later, he led the team to triumph in the home World Cup. In the final against Brazil (3-0), Zidane scored a brace. In 2000, Zidane also won the European Championship.
In the 1998 World Cup, Trezeguet became the youngest player in the "Les Bleus" squad at the age of 20. He scored a goal against Saudi Arabia. However, Trezeguet's truly iconic moment for French fans was his goal in the Euro 2000 final against Italy in the golden overtime, bringing the long-awaited title to the national team.
If not for the distant scandal involving the blackmail of his national team partner Mathieu Valbuena in 2015, Karim Benzema could have solidified his leadership in the race for top scorers. Due to the controversy, the forward was banned from playing for the national team for six years. Only in 2021 did Benzema return to the "Les Bleus" and celebrated victory in the Nations League. His lethal weapon remains his excellent finishing skills.
In the mid-80s, Michel Platini inspired the French national team with his play. This versatile midfielder led the team to become the first to win the European Championship (1984) and the Olympic football tournament. Platini is the only player to receive the "Golden Ball" three times in a row - the highest individual award of those years. After his career, he was involved in corruption scandals, preventing him from becoming the head of FIFA.
Forward Antoine Griezmann joined the national team in 2014 and witnessed all its recent successes - Euro 2016 silver, World Cup 2018 gold, and victory in the Nations League. In the World Cup final in Russia, Griezmann scored a goal. His latest major award was the 2022 World Cup silver in Qatar, where the French lost to Argentina. At the moment, the 31-year-old striker ranks fourth in the race of top "Les Bleus" snipers.
If no unforeseen circumstances occur, Kylian Mbappe will likely become the new top scorer in the history of the French national team in the coming years. At the age of 25, this forward has already netted 46 goals for the national team. Mbappe made his debut in 2017 in a match against Luxembourg at the age of 18. A year later, the dynamic forward went to the World Cup in Russia and won it with "Les Bleus."
The second-place holder in the ranking of top scorers is the legendary forward of London's "Arsenal," Thierry Henry. Like Trezeguet, he was relatively young and unknown when he went to the 1998 World Cup. However, in the group stage of that tournament, Henry scored three goals and became the top scorer of his team. He repeated the same result - three goals - in Euro 2000, where the French took gold. In subsequent years, Henry participated in major tournaments and was a silver medalist in the 2006 World Cup.
For a long time, few could have predicted that Olivier Giroud would become the top scorer in the history of the French national team. Debuting in 2011, this forward was not always the undisputed leader of the attack but regularly found the net. In the end, Giroud surpassed all legends, scoring 56 goals. He has the 2018 World Cup victory, Euro 2016 silver, and 2022 World Cup silver medals to his name. The 36-year-old forward still plays for "Les Bleus" and may solidify his record, reaching 60 goals or even winning another major tournament - Euro 2024.
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