For girls, the World Cup falls in the heart of summer, from July 20 to August 20. It is however this June 6, at 4 p.m., that the tricolor coach, Hervé Renard, announces a pre-list of 26 players selected to participate in the event. Three of them, a goalkeeper and two field players, will pack their bags a few days after the start of preparation at Clairefontaine (Yvelines), on June 20. Les Bleues look like a very serious outsider to the final victory, despite several major attacks in attack.
A larger group. The charismatic coach of Les Bleues, recruited in the spring to replace Corinne Deacon, could announce the return of former captain Amandine Henry, banned for two and a half years. Even short of competition, the midfielder remains a key element of the group. Other undesirables from the Deacon era, such as striker Eugénie Le Sommer, should confirm their return to the selection.
Two serious injuries. Les Bleues will have to play this competition at the antipodes without star scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto and elusive winger Delphine Cascarino. The first, injured in a knee for almost a year, did not win her time trial. The second collapsed at the worst time, victim of a partial rupture of a knee ligament on May 25.
A World Cup still invisible. Less than 50 days before the competition, no French television channel has positioned itself to acquire the broadcasting rights. The competition is certainly taking place in Australia, with a considerable time difference, and the high price demanded by Fifa are among the arguments of potential broadcasters. Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has pledged that there will be a broadcast.