Sport in France


Sport in France plays an important role in French society, which is reflected in its popularity among the French people and the nation's strong sporting history. Various types of sports are played and followed in France, notably [|cycling], [|fencing], [|football], and [|handball], which has earned France eight victories in world championships and five Olympic medal; France is also the four-time European champion of handball.

History

France has a long history of sport as a prestige and popular activity, wide participation and appreciative audiences as well as active support from the media and the government.
The origins of French sport reach back to ancient Gaul, where Celtic tribes engaged in activities like chariot racing, wrestling, and equestrian sports, often influenced by Roman traditions. The medieval era saw the rise of chivalric tournaments—jousting and martial arts that blended athleticism with social spectacle, reflecting the values and hierarchy of feudal society.
During the Renaissance, sports such as tennis and jeu de paume flourished among the aristocracy. These activities were closely linked to the royal court and symbolized status and refinement, reinforcing social stratification and the association of certain sports with the elite.
The French Revolution of the 1790s brought a new vision for sport, emphasizing physical education as a means to foster healthy, disciplined citizens aligned with republican ideals. This period saw the reinterpretation of traditional sports and the emergence of new forms of physical training, reflecting broader societal changes and the drive for egalitarianism.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked the formal organization of sport in France. Pierre de Coubertin was co-founder of the International Olympic Committee in 1894, becoming the father of the modern Olympics. National sports federations were formed to regulate and promote various disciplines, such as Gymnastic and Sports Federation of French Patronages. This period also saw the spread of sports through the French colonial empire, where physical education and organized sport were used as tools of cultural assimilation and imperial influence.
From the mid-20th century, sport became a matter of national concern and soft power in international affairs. The government invested in sports infrastructure, youth academies, and athlete development as a means to foster national unity, assimilate immigrants, and project international prestige. Football, in particular, became a symbol of multicultural integration, especially after the national team’s 1998 World Cup victory, which celebrated a multiethnic roster as a model of French identity and social cohesion.
The 20th century saw the democratization of sport, with football, rugby, cycling, and tennis becoming central to French popular culture. These sports not only provided entertainment and national pride but also served as arenas for debates about class, gender, and regional identity.
Sport in France has often intersected with politics and social movements. For example, the May 1968 protests influenced the state’s approach to youth and sport, while issues of racism, immigration, and national identity have played out in the public sphere through high-profile sporting events and controversies involving national teams.
France has frequently hosted major international sporting events, including multiple Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup. These occasions have reinforced France’s role as a global sporting nation and showcased its capacity for international leadership and cultural diplomacy.

Main sports

Football

is the most popular sport in France, with 1,993,270 licensed players in the leagues. The sport was imported from England at the end of the 19th century, under the name of association football. In its early days, the sport gained followers mainly in the Paris area and the Northern part of the country - Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Normandy were the first teams that were created outside Paris. However, in southern France, football's competitor, rugby football, was more popular for a period of time. Established in 1919 from competing organizations, the Fédération française de football consists of 18,000 teams.
France is also one of only ten teams to have won the UEFA European Championship. They also finished as runners-up when they hosted the tournament in 2016. France was also the 1984 Olympic Champion and the 1998 and 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, hosting the 1998 tournament. They finished as World Cup runners-up in 2006 and 2022.
Ligue 1 is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Contested by 18 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2. The most successful club in the French first division history is Paris Saint-Germain with 13 championships, followed by AS Saint-Étienne with 10, Olympique de Marseille with 9 titles and FC Nantes with 8 titles. As of 2025, the current champions are Paris Saint-Germain.
The Coupe de France is the premier knock-out cup competition in French football. The Coupe de la Ligue is the second major cup competition in France. The Trophée des Champions is played each July as a one-off match between the Coupe de France winners and the Ligue 1 champions.
Only two French clubs have won the UEFA Champions League: Marseille in 1993 and Paris Saint-Germain in 2025; furthermore, by winning the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, it became the first French club to be crowned Club World Champion in 2025. Stade de Reims, Saint-Étienne, and AS Monaco have also been runners-up.
SC Bastia, FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Olympique de Marseille have been runners-up in the UEFA Europa League. Paris Saint-Germain won the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996.
The France women's national football team's main international achievement has been fourth place at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. They also hosted the 2019 Women's World Cup.
Women's national professional competitions are supervised by the Fédération française de football. The first division is the Première Ligue. Olympique Lyonnais is the most successful team in French first division history with 31 national titles, including a streak of fourteen consecutive league titles from 2007 to 2020. In the UEFA Women's Champions League, OL have won a record eight titles and have been runners-up three times.

Basketball

The France national basketball team has had good results in international competitions over the years, with the senior team winning their first title ever at the EuroBasket 2013. The team was runner-up at the 1948 Summer Olympics, EuroBasket 1949, the 2000 Summer Olympics, the EuroBasket 2011, the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Olympics. France has also won medals at the FIBA World Cup in 2014, and 2019.
As of the, 22 French citizens have played in the NBA in the USA and Canada. San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker won four NBA titles to his credit; Spurs forward Boris Diaw once; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who won back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018 and 2019; and New York Knicks forward-center Joakim Noah, also notable for his college career at the University of Florida in which he starred on a team that won two NCAA titles with the same starting lineup. The New York Knicks former GM Phil Jackson selected Frank Ntilikina in the 2016-2017 NBA Draft. Victor Wembanyama won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2024. Men's national professional competitions are supervised by the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. There are two divisions: Pro A and Pro B. ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne is the most successful team in French first division history with 17 titles from 1949 to 2009. Limoges CSP is the only French team to have won the EuroLeague in 1993.
The France women's national basketball team has twice been European champion, and also claimed a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Women's national professional competitions are supervised by the Fédération Française de Basket-Ball with the first division being the Ligue féminine de basket. Clermont Université Club is the most successful team in French first division history with 13 titles from 1968 to 1981. CJM Bourges and US Valenciennes have won the EuroLeague Women.
Besides regular basketball, 3x3 basketball has become increasingly popular in France.

Horse riding

is the third most popular Olympic sport in France, and the leading sport for women.

Rugby union

was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents. While football is much more popular nationally, rugby union is predominant in the southern half of the country, especially around Toulouse, the French Basque country and Catalonia. Elite French clubs participate in the domestic club competition - the Top 14. Clubs also compete in the European knock-out competitions, the European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup. It is the seventh largest French team sport in the terms of licensed players with 360,847 licensed players. There are 1,737 clubs in France and the number of licensed players has significantly increased over the recent years.
Toulouse, Brive, Toulon, La Rochelle and Bordeaux Bègles won the Champions Cup.
In 2010, the all-French final of the Heineken Cup between Toulouse and Biarritz in the Stade de France received 3.2 million viewers on France 2. In 2011, the final of the Top 14 gathered 4.4 million viewers on France 2 and Canal+ and the World Cup final between New Zealand and France gathered 15.4 million viewers on TF1, the highest audience on French TV since the start of the year.
The national side is one of the tier 1 national teams. World number one in July 2022. It competes annually in the Six Nations Championship, and won it outright 18 times. France has been to every Rugby World Cup since its inception in 1987, and has been a runner-up on three occasions, most recently in 2011. France hosted the 2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.
And the France national rugby sevens team became World Series champion in 2023–24.