A home tournament to finally win? The French basketball team, Olympic vice-champion, will start its Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Saturday July 27 at 5:15 p.m., in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (North) against Brazil, winner of the last Olympic qualification tournament (TQO) in Riga.
Victor Wembanyama to carry the Blues. A nugget of French basketball who has been shining for a year on the NBA courts with San Antonio, the 2.24 m giant will have the difficult task of confirming his status as rookie of the season. Having lost his duel with Serbian Nikola Jokic during the last friendly of the Blues, the 20-year-old player will have to cœheart to make up for his first match at the Olympic Games.
The Blues dream of gold. After narrowly failing in the final of the last Olympic Games in Tokyo against the United States (defeat 82-87), the French team is coming to Paris with the ambition of finally winning the gold medal, after two silver medals in 1948 and 2000. Winners of the last edition, the USA brought the very big team to the French capital, stung to the quick after finishing 4th in the last world championships in 2023.
Brazil, a last-minute guest. Absent from the last Olympic Games, the Brazilians left no chance to the Latvians, the sensation of the 2023 World Cup (5th), who were aiming for a first Olympic qualification, during a TQO final played in Riga (94-69). Dominant in the paint, The Brazilian duo of Bruno Caboclo and Leo Meindl even compiled 41 points. Enough to scare the very good French interiors?