From July 24 to August 9, the world of soccer will turn its attention to the Olympic Games where sixteen teams, including France as the host country, will be competing for a gold medal. Brazil, the two-time defending champion, did not qualify and will be missing from the lineup of top favorites, among which are the French team, of course.
Thierry Henry, the head coach, still has a vague idea of the players who will make up his team. The main questions in the coming weeks will revolve around whether or not Kylian Mbappé will be present, but the U-23 coach is driven by a fierce desire to go all the way, to make up for the fiasco in Tokyo, with the ambition of having the national anthem resonate on home soil.
Forty years after the last French triumph in Los Angeles in 1984, the team relies on the support of an entire nation to go for the gold. They will need to overcome tough competition led by Spain and Argentina, who are serious contenders for the title. France, as the host country, is a seeded team.
At the moment, 12 of the 16 teams vying for the final victory are known. Ukraine and Israel complete the list of European nations. The second representative from South America (Paraguay), the qualifiers from Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Mali), as well as those from North America (United States, Dominican Republic), and Oceania (New Zealand) have also been determined.
The three spots for the Asian continent have not been assigned yet. A playoff between Guinea and the 4th team from Asia will determine the last ticket for the Games. The draw for the group stage is being conducted from the headquarters of the Olympic Games organizing committee in Saint-Denis on Wednesday night (8 PM, France 3).
All teams have been placed into four pots, the composition of which was revealed over the weekend. Four groups of four teams each will emerge from the draw. France, as the host, is in the first pot, alongside Argentina and the top two teams from Asia. This seed status should give them a more favorable start to the competition.
According to the regulations, France is already assured of avoiding Argentina in the group stage. A qualification to the knockout stage will be necessary to potentially face the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who clinched victory in 2008 in Beijing, but it is still uncertain if he will participate in the Olympic tournament.
The French team will also avoid facing other European nations. This means they will not have a rematch with Ukraine, who defeated the U-23 team at the Euros last year, or Spain, the Tokyo runner-up with strong ambitions for the upcoming summer.
The Morocco team, among the outsiders to be wary of, along with Mali, who reached the semi-finals of the last U17 World Cup, are working hard to strengthen their squad by including dual nationals. Paraguay is also a formidable team, having finished ahead of Argentina and Brazil in the qualifying rounds.
The United States, who are improving year by year, pose a significant threat on paper. The French players will have the chance to face them in a friendly match on March 25 in Sochaux. Depending on the draw, this match could serve as a crucial test for Thierry Henry’s squad, who will also face Ivory Coast three days earlier in another preparatory fixture.
The coach will have the opportunity to test certain combinations during these matches, refining his judgment just over three months before the final squad list for the Olympics needs to be submitted to Paris 2024 in early July.
