Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana together made up the ""carré magique"" (French for "magic square"), the group of midfield players that formed the heart of the French team in the 1980s.
Nastopil je tudi na svetovnih prvenstvih v letih 1978, 1982 in 1986, kjer se je z reprezentanco dvakrat uvrstil v polfinale.