Football supporters poured into the streets across the country after France’s second World Cup win and police were called in to combat violence as riots erupted.
In the southeast city of Annecy, police reported a 50-year-old man died after breaking his neck when he jumped into a canal as the final whistle blew to signal the end of the game.
And in the small town of Saint-Felix in northern France, a man in his thirties died after crashing into a tree while celebrating shortly after the winning match.
A three-year-old boy and two six-year-old girls were also seriously injured after being struck by a motorcycle during the celebrations in Frouard, a town outside the eastern city of Nancy.
Authorities claimed the motorcyclist had fled the scene.
More than 4,000 police and security forces have been deployed across Paris during the World Cup celebrations, and a large security perimeter prohibiting the access to vehicles around the Champs Elysees avenue had been set up.
In the French capital a bar was vandalised and thirty young people wearing ski masks ransacked a shop in the famous avenue while smiling and filming themselves with smartphones.
A french mayor in Paris, Jeanne d’Hauteserre, said: “The party is ruined because of a handful of thugs”.
As the revellers gradually left the popular avenue, police had to use water cannons to disperse the remaining people.
“Rioting broke out soon after midnight as large crowds refused to disperse,” said a police source in Paris.
They added: “Shops including the Publicis Drugstore close to the Arc de Triomphe were ransacked.
“Windows were smashed and officers who intervened were attacked.
“There have been scenes of absolute chaos that have spoiled the party.”
There were numerous incidents in other cities including Grenoble, Rouen, Le Havre, Nice, Cannes, Strasbourg and Nantes.
in Lyon a group of youths was also seen destroying street furniture, setting alight rubbish bins and attacking the police.
Tear gas was used to control them.