Who captained France to victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup?

Didier Deschamps captained France to victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. As the team’s holding midfielder and captain, he lifted the trophy after France defeated Brazil 3–0 in the final at the Stade de France.

Deschamps was known for his discipline, positioning and leadership rather than for scoring goals. He started every match for France during the tournament and helped provide balance behind creative players such as Zinedine Zidane and Youri Djorkaeff. France’s organised defence conceded only twice before the final.

Zidane scored twice from headers in the final, while Emmanuel Petit added a third goal in stoppage time. Those goals made Zidane the most memorable attacking figure of the match, but Deschamps remained the official captain. Marcel Desailly and Laurent Blanc were also senior defenders and leaders, which can make the question confusing.

Deschamps later became only the third person to win the World Cup both as a player and as a manager. He coached France to another World Cup title in 2018, two decades after captaining the 1998 champions.