Brazil vs. France: A brief history

Brazil meets an old foe Thursday at Stade de France as the Chevrolet Brasil Global Tour resumes for 2015. Dunga has led the side to six consecutive victories since World Cup 2014, but faces a real test against an opposite number that bettered him in the French capital in 1998. Brazil has not fared well against France in recent times, particularly at World Cups.

The saga began in 1986, when Tele Santana’s side lost to Les Bleus on penalties, continued through the World Cup final of 1998 when Zinedine Zidane secured put the Selecao to the sword and ended, for now, in 2006 when Thierry Henry eliminated Carlos Alberto Parreira’s Selecao.

Brazil and France have met 15 times, the first coming way back in 1930. There have been six wins for Brazil, five for France and four draws. The last time the two teams faced each other was in 2013, in a friendly match in Porto Alegre. Brazil won 3-0 on that occasion with goals from Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas.

Below Brasil Global Tour takes a look back at some of the more memorable clashes between these two great footballing nations ...

BRAZIL 0 - 1 - FRANCE - 7/1/2006

Competition: World Cup quarterfinal Venue: WM Stadion (Frankfurt, Germany) Referee: Luis Medida Cantalejo (Spain) Goals: Thierry Henry Brazil: Dida, Cafu (Cicinho), Lucio, Juan, Roberto Carlos, Gilberto Silva, Juninho Pernambucano (Adriano), Kaka (Robinho), Ze Roberto, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo. France: Barthez, Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal, Ribery (Govou), Vieira, Makelele, Zidane, Malouda (Wiltford), Henry (Saha)

After defeating Brazil in the final of World Cup 1998, Les Bleus were once again the Selecao’s executioners in 2006. In the quarterfinals of the tournament in Germany, Zidane made the difference with a vintage performance.

To this day Henry’s 56th-minute winner is a point of debate in Brazil, with the fans blaming Roberto Carlos for failing to follow the Frenchman into the area as Zidane sent in a deep free kick.

Brazil exited the tournament under heavy fire from a disappointed media. After the match against France, Parreira admitted his team's exit was down a lack of overall fitness after suggestions it underperformed throughout its time in Germany.

BRAZIL 0 - 3 FRANCE - 7/12/1998

Competition: World Cup final Venue: Stade de France (Saint-Denisa, France) Referee: Said Belqola (Morocco) Goals: Zidane (2) & Petit Brazil: Taffarel, Cafu, Aldair, Junior Baiano, Roberto Carlos, Cesar Sampaio (Edmundo), Dunga, Rivaldo, Leonardo, (Denilson), Bebeto, Ronaldo France: Barthez, Thuram, Leboeuf, Desailly, Lizarazu, Petit, Deschamps, Karembeu (Boghossian), Zidane, Djorkaeff (Vieira), Guivarc'h (Dugarry)

Brazil reached the final of the 1998 World Cup looking to retain to its title for a second time (a feat it achieved in 1958 and 1962) after Dunga had captained the side to victory in the United States four years previously. Spurred on by a dramatic semifinal against the Dutch, Mario Zagallo’s team came into game as the favorite — inspired by an unstoppable Ronaldo, who had scored four goals en route to the final.

But instead we saw what the media dubbed an "apathetic" display from the Selecao, who were totally overawed by the Zidane-led hosts. The big No. 10 headed two goals from corners to put France in control, before Emmanuel Petit charged forward to seal the French’s first world title.

The buildup to the match was overshadowed after Ronaldo suffered a seizure just hours before the match and was replaced in the side by Edmundo after being rushed to hospital for tests. After getting the medical all-clear, he headed straight to the stadium, just in time to start the game, but was unable to reproduce the glittering form we had seen in the previous games.

BRAZIL 1 - 1 FRANCE - 6/21/1986

Competition: World Cup quarterfinals Vnue:  Estádio Jalisco (Guadalajara, Mexico) Referee: Ion Igna (Romania) Goals: Careca, Platini Brazil: Carlos, Josimar, Julio Cesar, Edinho, Branco, Elzo, Alemão, Junio (Silas), Sócrates, Muller (Zico), Careca France: Bats, Manuel Amoros, Battison, Bossis, Thierry Tusseau, Luis Fernández, Tigana, Giresse (Jean-Marc Ferreri), Platini, Rocheteau (Bruno Bellone), Stopyra

The Brazil side that had enchanted the world in 1982 arrived in Mexico refreshed and renewed. Tele Santana had retained some of the superstars such as Socrates, Zico and Junior, and combined them with youngsters Alemao, Careca, Silas and Muller. Adored by the Mexican crowd, the Brazilian team was cheered on as it came up against Michel Platini’s France.

Brazil opened the scoring with Careca and had a chance to secure victory just 17 minutes from time when Branco was brought down in the area by France goalkeeper Joel Bats.

Zico, who had been kept out of the team with a knee injury, had received to a huge reception from the Mexican fans when he came on as a substitute just minutes earlier — but there was to be no fairy-tale introduction for him as he saw his tame penalty blocked by Bats. Muller and Careca then had chances to win it, but the game ended 1-1 before Socrates and Julio Cesar missed kicks in the penalty shootout to send Brazil home.

BRAZIL 5 - 2 FRANCE- 6/24/1958

Competition: World Cup semifinal Venue: Rasunda Stadium (Sweden) Referee Sandy Mervyn Griffiths (Wales) Goals: Vava, Just Fontaine, Didi, Pele (3), Roger Piantoni Brazil: Gilmar, Di Sordi, Bellini, Orlando Peçanha, Nilton Santos, Zito, Didi, Garricha, Vavá, Pelé, Zagallo France Abbès, Kaelbel, Jean-Jacques Marcel, Andre Lerond, Robert Jonquet, Armand Penverne, Kopa, Maryan Wisniek, Just Fontaine, Piantoni, Jean Vicent

The first team to win a world title for Brazil reached the semifinals with the meanest defense in the competition. However, France had the fiercest attack in Sweden, spearheaded by the unstoppable Just Fontaine, who already had eight goals in the tournament. And it was he who equalized in the ninth minutes after Vava had given Brazil an early lead.

The masterful Didi put Brazil back in front before a 17-year-old by the name of Pele announced his arrival to the world with a stunning hat trick that booked the Selecao’s place in the final.