France lifted the World Cup for the first time in 1998, famously defeating Brazil on home soil in a final remembered as much for Ronaldo’s mysterious pre-kickoff disappearance as for the game itself.
Aimé Jacquet’s side, however, had to do more than overcome the Seleção to claim the trophy—they dismantled teams like Denmark, Italy and a high-flying Croatia along the way, conceding just two goals in the entire tournament.
