FFF relaunches France Hall of Fame after criteria criticism

The French Football Federation (FFF) is working on the creation of an official Hall of Fame dedicated to the legends of the France national team, with an opening planned for 2026, although no precise date has yet been set. The intended location is the FFF headquarters or an adjoining building. Didier Deschamps, who will receive a special tribute in 2027, is expected to be among the first personalities inducted.

The idea took concrete form for the first time in March 2025, during the ceremony marking Olivier Giroud’s international retirement. Under the roof of Stade de France, the jerseys of Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Hugo Lloris, Thierry Henry, Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieira, Didier Deschamps and Giroud were hung in tribute to all players who had surpassed the 100-cap milestone.

However, this first version quickly drew reservations. By retaining only the 100-cap criterion, the FFF faced criticism from former internationals, including Maxime Bossis. “It’s good to pay tribute, but the criterion is biased because internationals can play far more matches today compared to the 1980s. It’s easier to reach 100, which doesn’t diminish their merit. But this removes any possibility of honouring the entire Kopa generation or ours,” he said. In the era of Just Fontaine, Raymond Kopa or Michel Platini, the international calendar indeed featured far fewer matches than today, making the 100-cap threshold virtually unattainable.

In response to these reactions, FFF president Philippe Diallo acknowledged that this first list was only a step. A commission of former internationals has since been established to define new induction criteria, with the ambition of integrating great figures from the past as well as notable coaches. The stated objective is to build a Panthéon des Bleus that is both representative and legitimate in the eyes of all generations.