France and Croatia began competing against each other in a series of friendly exhibition games, however since 1998, their encounters have become increasingly competitive. As both countries have the red-white-blue tricolor, matches between the two are nicknamed "Le derby tricolore" ("Tricolor Derby") or "Trobojnica" ("Tricolor" game). During the 1998 World Cup, both France and Croatia reached their then-pinnacle of international prowess after the former won the tournament after defeating the latter who took third place. Twenty years later, the two teams battled the 2018 World Cup final where France overcame Croatia 4–2 to secure the trophy. Similarly to 1998, the match with France elevated Croatia to its highest-ever ranking with runners-up positioning. The two teams have competed against each other six times with France winning four matches, and drawing two.