Three meetings are scheduled for Sunday, including the first steps of Les Bleues against Jamaica, in Australia.
Great start for the France team. The selection led by Hervé Renard makes its debut in this ninth edition of the World Cup, Sunday July 23, against Jamaica. In addition to the appearance of Les Bleues, Sweden and the Netherlands begin their competition with two opponents within their reach: South Africa and Portugal.
7 a.m.: Sweden-South Africa (France 3)
As in the last international competitions, Sweden did not come to Oceania to make up the numbers. During the last edition of the World Cup, organized in France in 2019, the selection of Peter Gerhardsson climbed to the 3rd step of the podium by beating England, now reigning European champions. In the same vein, the Swedes reached the final of the Tokyo Games in 2020, but also in the last four of Euro 2022.
Headliner of group G, made up of Italy, Argentina and South Africa, Sweden starts against the South Africans, full of confidence since their coronation at the last CAN. Something to make the Blagult ? The task promises to be difficult for the rainbow nation, which had not won a single match during the first World Cup in its history, four years ago.
9:30 a.m.: Netherlands-Portugal (France 3)
Finalists of the World Cup in 2019, the Netherlands return with great ambitions. Despite the absence of Vivianne Miedema, top scorer in the history of the OrangeAndries Jonker has a choice squad with talented players, such as the Lyonnaise Danielle van de Donk, the Parisian Lieke Martens or the Wolfsburg Dominique Janssen. Before finding the United States, their executioner in the final of the last World Cup, the Dutch will have to make a success of their entry into the matter against Portugal.
If Vietnam seems a notch below in this group E, the Portuguese selection will want to join the fight for 2nd place. For its first participation in the World Cup, the selection guided by Francisco Neto will try to take his revenge against the Netherlands, against whom they lost in the group stage of the last Euro.
12:00 p.m.: France-Jamaica (M6)
The highlight of Sunday’s program, France face Jamaica in their first match of the World Cup. Calmed after a period of tension and now guided by Hervé Renard, the Bleues hope to do better than the quarter-final lost against the American world champions in 2019. If it has never won a major title, or even reached the final of a World Cup or a Euro, France has some of the best players in the world in its ranks.
Under the impetus of the top scorer in the history of Les Bleues (89 goals), Eugénie Le Sommer, back after two years of absence, the tricolor clan presents itself as the favorite of group F. For its entry into the running, the band of Hervé Renard faces Jamaica, which intends to show a different face than during its first World Cup disputed in 2019.