France have won four World Cup semifinal matches and lost three, a record that underlines just how often Les Bleus have stayed in contention deep into the tournament.
That is the simple answer to the question of how many times France has won the World Cup at the semifinal stage: four victories, spread across several eras, from 1998 to 2022. They have reached the last four eight separate times in total, which tells its own story about sustained level and consistency.
France's World Cup semifinal record
The first of those defeats came on June 24, 1958, when France lost to Brazil. Two more followed against West Germany on July 8, 1982, and July 25, 1986. Those setbacks were part of a longer pattern, but they did not stop France from returning again and again to the biggest stage.
The victories began on July 8, 1998, when France beat Croatia in the semifinal. Eight years later, on July 5, 2006, they got past Portugal. Didier Deschamps then led a dominant new generation into the same stage, with France beating Belgium on July 10, 2018, before defeating Morocco on December 14, 2022.
What the numbers tell us
The balance of four wins and three defeats is a strong one, especially in a competition where the margins at this stage are so fine. France have not simply made deep runs; they have repeatedly found ways to win when the tournament is at its most demanding.
That is why France's semifinal record matters beyond the headline number. It shows a team that has been able to compete across different generations, different managers and different tournament cycles, while still keeping itself among the elite.
So, if the question is how many times France has won the World Cup semifinal stage, the answer is four. And with eight appearances in total, that record is a major reason why France are always taken seriously when the knockout rounds begin.
