France–Germany football rivalry

Last updated

France–Germany football rivalry
Location Europe (UEFA)
TeamsFlag of France.svg  France
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
First meeting15 March 1931
Friendly
France 1–0 Germany
Latest meeting23 March 2024
Friendly
France 0–2 Germany
Statistics
Meetings total34
Most winsFrance (15)
Top scorer Antoine Griezmann (5 goals)
All-time seriesFrance: 15
Draw: 8
Germany: 11
Largest victoryWest Germany 5–1 France
Friendly
27 September 1967
Europe blank laea location map.svg
Red pog.svg
France
Red pog.svg
Germany

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 Championships in the 2010s decade after a series of mere friendlies in the 1990s to 2000s.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Background

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

NumberDateLocationCompetitionGameResults
115 March 1931 Flag of France.svg Paris Friendly France – Weimar Republic1–0
219 March 1933 Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg Berlin FriendlyWeimar Republic – France3–3
317 March 1935 Flag of France.svg Paris FriendlyFrance – Germany1–3
421 March 1937 Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg Stuttgart FriendlyGermany – France4–0
55 October 1952 Flag of France.svg Paris FriendlyFrance – West Germany3–1
616 October 1954 Flag of Germany.svg Hannover FriendlyWest Germany – France1–3
728 June 1958 Flag of Sweden.svg Göteborg 1958 FIFA World Cup France – West Germany6–3
826 October 1958 Flag of France.svg Paris FriendlyFrance – West Germany2–2
924 October 1962 Flag of Germany.svg Stuttgart FriendlyWest Germany – France2–2
1027 September 1967 Flag of Germany.svg Berlin FriendlyWest Germany – France5–1
1125 September 1968 Flag of France.svg Marseille FriendlyFrance – West Germany1–1
1213 October 1973 Flag of Germany.svg Gelsenkirchen FriendlyWest Germany – France2–1
1323 February 1977 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Paris FriendlyFrance – West Germany1–0
1419 November 1980 Flag of Germany.svg Hannover FriendlyWest Germany – France4–1
158 July 1982 Flag of Spain.svg Seville 1982 FIFA World Cup West Germany – France 3–3
(5–4 p)
1618 April 1984 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Strasbourg FriendlyFrance – West Germany1–0
1725 June 1986 Flag of Mexico.svg Guadalajara 1986 FIFA World Cup France – West Germany0–2
1812 August 1987 Flag of Germany.svg Berlin Berlin AnniversaryWest Germany – France2–1
1928 February 1990 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Montpellier FriendlyFrance – West Germany2–1
201 June 1996 Flag of Germany.svg Stuttgart FriendlyGermany – France0–1
2127 February 2001 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Paris FriendlyFrance – Germany1–0
2215 November 2003 Flag of Germany.svg Gelsenkirchen FriendlyGermany – France0–3
2312 November 2005 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Paris FriendlyFrance – Germany0–0
2429 February 2012 Flag of Germany.svg Bremen FriendlyGermany – France1–2
256 February 2013 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Paris FriendlyFrance – Germany1–2
264 July 2014 Flag of Brazil.svg Rio de Janeiro 2014 FIFA World Cup France – Germany0–1
27 13 November 2015 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Paris FriendlyFrance – Germany2–0
287 July 2016 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Marseille UEFA Euro 2016 Germany – France0–2
2914 November 2017 Flag of Germany.svg Cologne FriendlyGermany – France2–2
306 September 2018 Flag of Germany.svg Munich 2018–19 UEFA Nations League Germany – France0–0
3116 October 2018 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg Paris 2018–19 UEFA Nations LeagueFrance – Germany2–1
3215 June 2021 Flag of Germany.svg Munich UEFA Euro 2020 France – Germany1–0
3312 September 2023 Flag of Germany.svg Dortmund FriendlyGermany – France2–1
3423 March 2024 Flag of France.svg Lyon FriendlyFrance – Germany0–2

Major encounters

1958 FIFA World Cup

France  Flag of France (1794-1815, 1830-1958).svg6–3Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany
Fontaine Soccerball shade.svg16', 36', 78', 89'
Kopa Soccerball shade.svg27' (pen.)
Douis Soccerball shade.svg50'		 Report Cieslarczyk Soccerball shade.svg18'
Rahn Soccerball shade.svg52'
Schäfer Soccerball shade.svg84'
Ullevi, Gothenburg
Attendance: 32,483
Referee: Juan Regis Brozzi (Argentina)

1982 FIFA World Cup

1986 FIFA World Cup

France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg0–2Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany
Report Brehme Soccerball shade.svg9'
Völler Soccerball shade.svg89'
Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Luigi Agnolin (Italy)

2014 FIFA World Cup

France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg 0–1 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Report
Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
Attendance: 74,240
Referee: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)

UEFA Euro 2016

Germany  Flag of Germany.svg 0–2 Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Report
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Attendance: 64,078 [7]
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)

2018–19 UEFA Nations League

Germany  Flag of Germany.svg0–0Flag of France (lighter variant).svg  France
Report
Allianz Arena, Munich
Attendance: 67,485 [8]
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)
France  Flag of France (lighter variant).svg2–1Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Report
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Attendance: 77,300 [8]
Referee: Milorad Mažić (Serbia)

UEFA Euro 2020

France  Flag of France.svg 1–0 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Report
Allianz Arena, Munich
Attendance: 13,000 [9]
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)

Statistics

All-time top goalscorers

As of 12 September 2023
NationPlayerGoalsYears
Flag of France.svg Antoine Griezmann 52014–present
Flag of France.svg Just Fontaine 41958
Flag of Germany.svg Rudi Völler 31982–1994
Flag of Germany.svg Gerd Müller 31966–1974

Overall record

As of 23 March 2024
CompetitionMatches [10] ResultGoals
FranceDrawsGermanyFranceGermany
FIFA World Cup 411*299
UEFA European Championship 220030
UEFA Nations League 211021
All competitions84221410
Friendly 2611693740
All matches34158115150

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The War That Set The Stage For World War One". Forces Network. 2 September 2016.
  2. ↑ The Daily Telegraph
  3. ↑ "World Cup: France-Germany rivalry isn't just about the wars". Christian Science Monitor. 4 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "France vs Germany: a football rivalry 30 years in the making". France 24. 4 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Germany vs France: The European Rivalry That Keeps on Giving - Sabotage Times". Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  6. ↑ Pears, Tim (25 October 2008). "'My most beautiful game': France v West Germany, 1982 World Cup semi-final". the Guardian.
  7. ↑ "Full Time Summary – Germany v France" (PDF). UEFA.org. Union of European Football Associations. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Summary UEFA Nations League A – Group 1". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "Full Time Summary – France v Germany" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "France national football team: record v Germany". 11v11. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.