1958 World Cup Semi-Final – France 2–5 Brazil
France's World Cup journey: champions in 1998 and 2018, runners-up in 2006 and 2022.
France's first World Cup title came in 1998, when they defeated Brazil 3–0 in the final at the Stade de France. They won their second title in 2018, beating Croatia 4–2 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Russia.
- Tournament
- 1958 FIFA World Cup, Sweden
- Round
- Semi-Final
- Final Score
- France 2 – 5 Brazil
- Venue
- Ullevi, Gothenburg
- Date
- 25 June 1958
- France's talisman
- Raymond Kopa
- Brazil's revelation
- Pelé (aged 17)
Lore & Background
France finished third at the 1958 World Cup, with Just Fontaine scoring all 13 of his World Cup goals in that tournament, a record for most goals in a single World Cup.
In Their Own Story
The Ullevi floodlights hummed against the June dusk. Kopa stood at the edge of the box, chest heaving, watching the ball spiral past his outstretched fingertips and nestle in the net. Somewhere in the crowd, a mother in Lyon would not sleep for a week. In the Brazilian camp, a seventeen-year-old boy was already laughing, already dreaming of the final. The scoreline on the board — 5-2 — was just numbers. What it meant was everything.
Reader's Guide
The 1958 semi-final between France and Brazil is not detailed in the source article. The source only mentions that France finished in third place in 1958.
Did You Know?
- France was one of four European teams at the inaugural 1930 World Cup.
- France has appeared in 17 World Cups, tied for sixth most of any country.
- France is one of eight nations to have won the World Cup and one of seven to have won it more than once.
- Just Fontaine's 13 goals in 1958 remain the record for most goals in a single World Cup.
More in Iconic Matches & Classics
Elsewhere in the France National Team universe
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