Guided tour of Clairefontaine, the French National Football Center

Clairefontaine, the Home of Les Bleus

Cultival is the official agency for guided tours of Clairefontaine, the National Football Center (CNF), a symbol of French sporting excellence. This legendary site, often nicknamed the “Château of Les Bleus”, is the historic training center of the French national teams, an iconic place where high standards, discipline, and the constant pursuit of performance come together. Accompanied by football-passionate expert guides, visitors discover a world-renowned site that embodies the French expertise in elite training and high-level preparation. Clairefontaine is the home of Les Bleus, where the French national team traditionally gathers to prepare for matches, in a unique atmosphere filled with focus and emotion.
 

What will you discover on our guided tour of Clairefontaine?

This immersive guided tour, lasting approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, reveals the richness and diversity of the spaces that make up Clairefontaine: team living areas, training facilities, physical and mental preparation zones, memorial sites, and powerful symbols of French football history. The Château of the French National Teams, iconic pitches, modern facilities and historic spaces are gradually unveiled through the guide’s explanations and behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
 

A site usually closed to the public

Located in the heart of a vast forestry sector within the Rambouillet Forest, the National Football Center benefits from a calm, green, and secluded environment, ideal for preparing for major international competitions. This peaceful and unique sporting atmosphere is carefully preserved and plays a crucial role in the site's identity and performance. This tour offers a rare behind-the-scenes immersion into a place normally reserved exclusively for players and coaching staff.
 

A center of excellence at the heart of French football

Inaugurated in 1988, the National Football Center was designed from the beginning as a hub for innovation and research dedicated to elite performance. Its cutting-edge facilities, training pitches, modern equipment, and medical center (certified as a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence) highlight the importance placed on the players’ overall preparation. At Clairefontaine, modern football relies on science: physical conditioning, recovery, game analysis, technological innovation, and medical support. A globally recognized model that has become a benchmark in world football.
 

INF Clairefontaine: cradle of talent and school of life

The site also hosts the National Football Institute (INF Clairefontaine), a symbol of the French training philosophy and knowledge transmission. Many legendary players were trained here or passed through its ranks, including Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, William Gallas, Blaise Matuidi, Abou Diaby, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jérôme Rothen, and Louis Saha. At Clairefontaine, the goal is not only to train footballers, but to shape individuals. The project is built on a holistic vision that combines sport, education, and human development, guided by the core values of football: enjoyment, respect, commitment, tolerance, and solidarity. Discipline lies at the heart of everything, forging character and transmitting a culture of excellence.
 

A key venue for major international competitions

Before a World Cup, UEFA European Championship, Nations League, or major international event, Clairefontaine plays a central role in preparing Les Bleus. It is here that the team refines its playing patterns, builds collective cohesion, and prepares for the biggest challenges in world football. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the National Football Center more than ever stands as a strategic location where the sporting ambitions of tomorrow are shaped. Each training camp is a reminder that football is made of highs and lows, and that a match is never over. One shared pride unites players, staff, and supporters: the pride to be Les Bleus.
 

Clairefontaine: a place of memory and shared emotion

Clairefontaine holds a special place in the collective imagination. Generations of fans have experienced unforgettable moments, historic matches, and great victories through television screens. Crossing the gates of the CNF gives those memories a new dimension. Visitors step into a place made familiar through broadcast images, yet rarely accessible. Here, Les Bleus train, write their history, and fuel a shared emotion passed down through generations. Other legendary figures of French football have also shaped this legacy, such as Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, and Just Fontaine. Their achievements, trophies, and victories still resonate today, feeding the emotional power of Clairefontaine, a lasting symbol of the prestige and history of Les Bleus. At Clairefontaine, success is above all a collective achievement, driven by a strong belief: it is the team that scores, not the individual.
 

An experience open to everyone

This immersive experience at Clairefontaine is designed for all audiences: football fans, sports enthusiasts, families, curious visitors, and anyone eager to discover the daily life of a world-class performance center. The aim is to help visitors understand what makes Clairefontaine unique, and to feel, on site, the emotion of a place where the most beautiful chapters of French football history are written, competition after competition.
 

Why visit Clairefontaine with Cultival?

• Official agency for guided tours of Clairefontaine
• Expert guides passionate about football
• Privileged access to an iconic site
• Immersion into the Château of Les Bleus
• An authentic, educational, and unifying experience

Clairefontaine represents the glorious past, the demanding present, and the ambitious future of French football. With Cultival, step inside the temple of French football and enjoy a truly unique immersion at the heart of the home of Les Bleus.