The French men’s team inherited the New Zealanders, Americans and an intercontinental play-off after the draw for the Olympic football tournament which took place on Wednesday in Saint-Denis. Les Bleues will face Canada, Colombia and also New Zealand.
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The French teams now know the program. Thierry Henry’s Blues inherited an affordable group, with New Zealand, the United States and an intercontinental play-off during the draw for the groups of the group stage of the Olympic football tournament, carried out on Wednesday March 20 at the Paris 2024 headquarters in Saint-Denis by former Argentinian international Javier Saviola and triple French Olympic champion Marie-José Pérec.
France, which was necessarily transferred to Group A as host country, will therefore be with the New Zealanders, an affordable hat 2 opponent on paper, the Americans, who will return to the Olympics for the first time since 2008 , and a play-off which will be either Guinea or a team from the Asian continent.
Paris 2024: Thierry Henry reacts to the draw
The group draw for the Olympic men’s team tournament has been revealed. The Blues coach, Thierry Henry reacts to his team’s opponents.
France will begin its tournament on July 24 (9 p.m.) against the United States at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, before hosting the play-off on July 27 in Nice. The Blues will finish against New Zealand on July 30 in Marseille (7 p.m.). In 2021, the French team led by Sylvain Ripoll was eliminated in the first round.
The groups of the men’s tournament:
Group A: France, New Zealand, United States, intercontinental dam builder
Group B: Argentina, Morocco, qualified by the Asian U23 Championship, Ukraine
Group C: Qualified by the Asian U23 Championship, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic
Group D: Qualified by the Asian U23 Championship, Paraguay, Mali, Israel
Les Bleues with the Canadian Olympic champions
For their part, the Blues also inherited a rather lenient group on paper with Canada, Colombia and New Zealand. The Canadians are the reigning Olympic champions, and have beaten the Blues during the two French participations in the Games. Colombia remains in a quarter-final at the 2023 World Cup, while New Zealand, quarter-finalist of the Games in 2012, knocked out Norway at home at the last World Cup.
The selection of Hervé Renard, who did not participate in the last edition in Tokyo, will try to succeed at home in Canada, crowned during the 2021 Olympic Games in Japan. The French will begin their tournament against Colombia on July 25 (9 p.m.) at the Stade de Lyon, before facing Canada on July 28 (9 p.m.) at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne, and completing their group stage against New Zealand on July 31 (9 p.m.) at the Stade de Lyon.
Paris 2024: Hervé Renard’s reaction after the draw
Hervé Renard, the coach of the French women’s team, spoke to Fabien Lévêque after the verdict of the football draw for the Paris 2024 Games. Les Bleues will face Colombia, Canada and New Zealand.
France only participated in the Olympics for the first time in 2012, in London, achieving its best performance so far, failing in the small final for the bronze medal, beaten by Canada (1-0) . In 2016, the Blues stopped in the quarter-finals, against Canada again, and with the same score. The Olympic tournament will take place from July 24 to August 10, the two Olympic finals will be played at the Parc des Princes.
The groups of the women’s tournament:
Group A: France, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand
Group B: United States, Germany, Australia, qualified from the Africa zone
Group C: Spain, Japan, Brazil, qualified from the Africa zone