France v Germany: the World Cup meetings

France face Germany for the fourth time at a FIFA World Cup in Friday's quarter-final at Rio de Janeiro's famous Estádio do Maracanã. UEFA.com recalls the previous fixtures in the tournament between two nations who have never met at the finals of a UEFA European Championship.

West Germany 3-6 France, Gothenburg
28 June 1958, World Cup third-place play-off
France concluded an impressive campaign in Sweden with their first medal at international level. Albert Batteux's side were eliminated by Brazil in the semi-finals, but the coach kept faith in his 4-2-4 formation and Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine ripped West Germany apart, with the latter's four goals in the game increasing his tally to 13 for the tournament – still a World Cup record.

Fontaine, as always, gave "credit to Kopa" for his achievements. "Without him I would never have got to that total," he explained. "Our understanding was the key in this game and in the whole tournament."

West Germany 2-0 France, Guadalajara
25 June 1986, World Cup semi-final
Having ousted Brazil and defending champions Italy, France came into the match as favourites, but an error by France goalkeeper Joël Bats allowed Andreas Brehme's low free-kick to creep into the net to give Germany an early lead. France should have equalised, but Maxime Bossis missed an open goal, and in an added-time counterattack Rudi Völler supplied the killer blow, lifting the ball over Bats then prodding it into the empty net.

"We celebrated with a big bang after the semi-final," Völler recalled. "Felix Magath, Thomas Berthold, Matthias Herget and I all had reason to. We sat down in the hotel lobby in disguise, ordered champagne and celebrated until dawn. A great party."

Fischer after making it 3-3©Getty Images

West Germany 3-3 France (aet, Germany win 5-4 on pens), Seville
8 July 1982, World Cup semi-final
It may be remembered elsewhere for goalkeeper Harald Schumacher's controversial challenge on Patrick Battiston, yet in Germany this game against a gifted France side, led by future UEFA President Michel Platini, symbolised the national team's never-say-die spirit. Les Bleus went 3-1 up in extra time after the game ended 1-1, but a strike from substitute Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Fischer's overhead kick made it 3-3, with Schumacher stopping efforts from Didier Six and Bossis as West Germany won the shoot-out.

"There were top players on the pitch that day who made a huge show out of this game," said Pierre Littbarski, scorer of West Germany's opening goal. "I had no time to stop the ball as two Frenchmen challenged me, so I hit it first time and it went in. I have never experienced a better and more exciting match."