Rudi Garcia becomes ninth French coach to reach World Cup quarter-finals | OneFootball

Rudi Garcia became the ninth French coach to reach the World Cup quarter-finals after Belgium’s 4-1 win over the United States on Monday. According to L'Équipe, he joins a select group and is only the second to do so with a foreign national team.

Seven French coaches have taken France to at least the last eight. It began in 1938 under Gaston Barreau, when France reached the quarter-finals, losing 3-1 to Italy after a 3-1 round of 16 win against Belgium. In 1958, Albert Batteux guided a run to third place after a 2-5 semi-final defeat by Brazil.

A long wait followed until 1982, when Michel Hidalgo led France to the quarters and then the semis, where West Germany prevailed 3-3, 4-5 on penalties. His successor, Henri Michel, also fell at that stage to the same opponents, 0-2.

Aimé Jacquet returned France to the quarters in 1998, and they went on to lift the trophy. In 2006, Raymond Domenech’s side again reached the last eight before losing the final to Italy on penalties.

Didier Deschamps is the seventh, and he has made the quarters four times as France coach, a record, winning in 2018, losing the 2022 final to Argentina 3-3, 2-4 on penalties, and exiting in 2014 against Germany. France are currently at the quarter-final stage in 2026.

Garcia is therefore one of only two French coaches to reach the World Cup quarter-finals with another nation, alongside Bruno Metsu, who did so with Senegal in 2002 before a 1-0 extra-time defeat by Türkiye.

Source: L'Équipe