The 10 greatest French forwards in football history have been ranked

Having won two World Cups and two European Championships, France are one of the most successful footballing nations of all time. Of course, in order to achieve these feats, the French have had to produce an exceptional array of talent. While the current pool of players Didier Deschamps has to choose from is dripping in quality and depth, the general talent production line in French history is astounding compared to most other countries.

Famous French teams have had solid foundations from the back, with the likes of Deschamps, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira and Lillian Thuram providing the attacking players with the platform to flourish. However, it’s the elite offensive talent that has carried Les Blues to success time and time again.

From Nicholas Anelka to David Trezeguet, the options various French managers have had to pick from in the forward line have been mouthwatering. GIVEMESPORT have decided to rank the top 10 French forwards of all time – with neither of these aforementioned stars making the cut.

Ranking Factors

• International achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Club achievements (honours, appearances, goals, assists, etc)
• Individual awards
• Legacy within football

10 Just Fontaine

Career Span: 1950 – 1962

A name modern fans may not be too familiar with, but may recognise for one single reason. Just Fontaine is the fourth most prolific goalscorer in World Cup history, level with Lionel Messi with 13 goals. However, what makes this achievement so spectacular is that he did this having played in just one World Cup, in 1958, which makes him the greatest goalscorer in a single version of this tournament, with 13 goals in just six matches.

This incredible record in itself immediately places him on this list, but it’s also supported by an equally incredible return of 30 goals for Les Blues in 21 caps. Fontaine’s career was cut short through injury, retiring from the game at 28, but his international legacy combined with eight domestic major honours are enough for him to be recognised by some as one of the greatest players of all time, with Pele naming him in his ‘FIFA 100’ list in 2004.

9 Olivier Giroud

Career Span: 2005 – Present

France’s all-time top goalscorer and third most capped player, Olivier Giroud’s place on this list is indisputable. Despite some still feeling the target man’s lack of pace and occasional clunkiness on the ball hinders the teams he plays in, others recognise his immaculate ability to link play, expert finishing and dominant prowess in the air as reasons as to why he is perhaps underrated.

Those who fight Giroud’s capabilities are being presented with an ever-growing and impressive CV slapping back at them – the divisive Frenchman has won the World Cup, the Champions League, Serie A, the Europa League and many domestic cups. A resume of this pedigree hints to a player of a very high level, and that’s what Giroud has been throughout his illustrious career, despite a few glaring limitations.

8 Raymond Kopa

Career Span: 1949 – 1967

Like Fontaine, Raymond Kopa’s era of supremacy came mostly in the 1950s, meaning his name may not evoke familiarity amongst modern fans. However, his impact in his time was significant, winning the Ballon D’or in 1958, the European Cup (Champions League) three times with Real Madrid and having the now prestigious Kopa Trophy named after him, having won Young Player of the Tournament at the 1954 World Cup.

At just 5’6, Kopa’s short frame made him an elusive forward, often deployed just off the main striker so that he could drop deep to combine with Fontaine ahead of him, with whom he had a close relationship and remarkable chemistry on the pitch. Many have stressed that Kopa’s playing style pre-dated his time, with ‘These Football Times’ describing his game as “built around an intelligence many years ahead of that of his contemporaries.”

7 Antoine Griezmann

Career Span: 2009 – Present

Similarly to Giroud, Antoine Griezmann’s level and list of accomplishments may have gone somewhat under the radar. Scoring 20 goals or more across all competitions in eight seasons of his career, mostly for a conservative Atletico Madrid side, represents an incredible goal-scoring record. He has been the talismanic figure in an Atleti team under Diego Simeone that have defied the odds to compete consistently with Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as reaching two Champions League finals.

On the international stage, only three players have played more for France and only three have scored more goals. The former Barcelona forward’s telepathic relationship with Giroud has been imperative to many of Les Blues deep tournament runs, and he has certainly contributed with regards to output in these tournaments, scoring four goals in the 2018 World Cup triumph, six at Euro 2016 and one at Euro 2020.

6 Robert Pires

Career Span: 1992 – 2014

The first on this list to boast the titles of both World Cup winner and European Champion, Robert Pires was a pivotal piece of the historic French team of the late 1990s and early 2000s. His two-footedness, silky close control and ability to regularly chip in with goals from out wide made him one of the great wingers of his time.

For Arsenal, he managed at least double figures for goals in all six of his seasons in North London, contributing greatly to Arsene Wenger’s side that won two Premier League titles, one of which was the famous ‘Invincibles’. Pires also managed 79 caps for his country, scoring 14 goals and winning the Confederations Cup Golden Ball and Golden Shoe in 2001.

5 Franck Ribery

Career Span: 2000 – 2023

The electric Franck Ribery’s ability was perhaps underappreciated in France, given the winger was one of the faces of the catastrophic 2010 World Cup campaign. Ribery was lamented in French media for being one of the leading figures in the downfall of that tournament, supposedly causing friction with various members of the dressing room.

However, this one hiccup on an incredible CV should not undermine a player who, on his day, was as good as anyone. Coming third to just Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the 2013 Ballon d’Or, Ribery won 25 major honours domestically, including a Champions League, and contributed to France’s run to the World Cup final in 2006. 81 caps and 16 goals for his national team represent a solid international career that was often overlooked because of the incidents in 2010.

4 Karim Benzema

Career Span: 2004 – Present

The second Ballon d’Or winner on this list, and another player whose international legacy has been tarnished by events off the pitch that prevented Karim Benzema from playing for France between 2016 and 2020. Despite this five-year absence from the Les Blues set-up, the maverick has still played 97 times for his country, scoring important goals at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2020.

A career littered with an abundance of accolades, Benzema developed into one of the great goalscorers in modern times, carrying Real Madrid to the 2021/22 Champions League in the post-Ronaldo era. This triumph added to his collection of five winners’ medals in Europe’s prodigious competition, to compliment his 32 total major honours. Playing 648 games for Los Blancos and scoring 354 goals, Benzema has to be in the conversation around the greatest French forwards of all time.

3 Eric Cantona

Career Span: 1983 – 1997

Another player with his fair share of controversies, but another who mesmerised fans with his absurd technical level and quality of goals. Eric Cantona became an icon at Manchester United, with his fiery character endearing him to the Stretford crowd, and his ability backing it up.

While his international career was brought to an end after his notorious karate kick on a Crystal Palace fan at Old Trafford, and ultimately meant he did not achieve what he may have dreamed of for his nation, he still contributed greatly in his 45 caps, and his impressive domestic career allowed him to showcase the quality that plants him firmly in the top 3 of this list. ‘King Eric’ won four Premier League titles, alongside an array of honours in France.

Cantona’s International Career
France Caps	45
France Goals	20
France Assists	3
France Honours	None

2 Kylian Mbappe

Career Span: 2015 – Present

Arguably the greatest player currently on planet earth, Kylian Mbappe has almost completed football at the age of 25. Only a Champions League trophy evades him, but an imminent move to Real Madrid will likely fix that in years to come.

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Mbappe’s ridiculous pace, mazy dribbling and finishing ability make him an absorbing player to watch, and he’s well on his way to surpassing the goal-scoring exploits of Giroud and Thierry Henry, the only Frenchmen to have netted more goals for Les Blues at this time. Scoring a World Cup final hat-trick and another World Cup final goal in France’s 2018 triumph means his international legacy is perhaps already greater than any French player ever, and he’s only likely to add to this incredible list of achievements.

Mbappe’s International Career
France Caps	77
France Goals	46
France Assists	31
France Honours	World Cup 2018

1 Thierry Henry

Career Span: 1994 – 2014

As one of the greatest strikers of all time, Thierry Henry inevitably comes at the top of a list of the greatest French forwards in history. Henry was the poster boy of French football for some time, inspiring an incredible generation of talent that followed from the Parisian suburbs.

The Arsenal legend scored 226 goals for the North London outfit, making him the club’s greatest-ever goalscorer, and was the French all-time top goalscorer until Olivier Giroud leapfrogged him recently. Winning the World Cup, the Euros, the Champions League, two La Ligas and two Premier League titles, Henry did indeed complete football and almost had a Ballon d’Or to cap it all off, coming second to Pavel Nedved in 2003.

Some describe Henry as the greatest Premier League player of all time, and none doubt the forward’s immense quality, with his electric pace, powerful dribbling and clinical finishing somewhat resembling the likely inspired Mbappe.

Henry’s International Career
France Caps	123
France Goals	51
France Assists	30
France Honours	World Cup 1998, Euro 2000

Stats via Transfermarkt (as of 22/05/24).