And so it wasn't to be for France. Brazil in 1962 remain the last team to successfully win back-to-back World Cups after Didier Deschamps' team lost on penalties to Argentina in the climax of Sunday's dramatic final in Qatar.
Les Bleus' bid to back up their victory in Russia four years ago with another was a valiant one, but given the recent struggles that defending champions have had at the World Cup, that they even made it out of the groups was a decent achievement!
The good news for France fans is that their conveyor belt of talent is showing few signs of slowing down, and whether it is Deschamps or another manager who takes them forward, they will continue to head into major tournaments among the favourites to go all the way.
The next target will be winning a first European Championship since 2000 in Germany in 18 months' time, but soon enough all eyes will be on the next World Cup and doing it all again in 2026.
But which of the current players will still be around when the World Cup circus descends on the United States, Mexico and Canada? GOAL has had a go at predicting France's line-up for the next global competition...