Hervé Renard’s Bleues against Canada, lucky draw for the Bleuets

The draw for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, carried out on Wednesday in Saint-Denis, was lenient for the two French football teams: Hervé Renard’s Bleues will begin their tournament with an opening match against Colombia on July 25 in Lyon before continuing against the Canadians, reigning Olympic champions. For their part, Thierry Henry’s Bleuets will face New Zealand, the United States and a play-off.

Published on: 03/20/2024 – 10:08 p.m. Modified on: 03/20/2024 – 10:34 p.m.

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Affordable groups for France. Hervé Renard’s Bleues will face Colombia on July 25 in Lyon, in the opening match of the women’s tournament of the Paris Olympic Games this summer, according to the draw carried out on Wednesday March 20 in Saint-Denis. They will then continue against the Canadians, reigning Olympic champions, and New Zealand.

As for the Bleuets of coach Thierry Henry, they will face New Zealand, the United States and a play-off in the group stage of the men’s football tournament.

The French men’s team will also play in the opening of the tournament, against the United States on July 24 in Marseille, then the winner of the play-off between Guinea and an Asian team, and finally New Zealand.

Two favorable draws for the French teams, even if the chances of winning Olympic gold are not the same for men and women.

“I visualize gold, I look at it, but there is a long way to go before,” reacted Thierry Henry to AFP.

The Bleuets are among the favorites in their competition, thanks to their pool of promising and already effective young players like Bradley Barcola at Paris SG or Guillaume Restes at Toulouse. But also because Thierry Henry hopes for the participation of great internationals among the quota of three accepted beyond the age limit of 23 years.

If Real Madrid recently warned that it would not release its players, which should concern Kylian Mbappé who is awaiting his departure from PSG, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Philippe Diallo promised Wednesday to Le Figaro that he would “push” with the Spanish club for the presence of the captain and superstar of the Blues.

Karim Benzema “welcome”

As for Antoine Griezmann, Atlético Madrid’s position is not yet known. Thierry Henry also declared that “the door is open to everyone”, referring to Karim Benzema, who said he was potentially interested on Tuesday with the L’Équipe channel.

“No veto” posed either by Philippe Diallo to AFP on Wednesday evening: “I was delighted that an additional player wanted to participate in the Olympics, it shows their attractiveness, a Golden Ball, one of the greatest players in the history of our football.

“There is not a day without a great football champion declaring his love for the Games”, also welcomed Wednesday evening Tony Estanguet, president of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, present in Saint- Denis.

The Bleuets will have the mission to finish first in their group in order to avoid a potential confrontation against Argentina, placed in group B with Morocco who would not be an opponent to be taken lightly in the quarter-finals.

Tighter tournament for women

On the Blue side, captain Wendie Renard and her team will have a lot to do to triumph over Spain, world champion in 2023, who swept them away in the Nations League final at the end of February.

In the first round, “we inherit Canada, the reigning Olympic champions, we cannot say that it is the easiest opponent, and Colombia which had a magnificent World Cup with a very athletic team”, said to AFP Hervé Renard.

“I am at the end of my contract on August 31, I announced to the federation that I will not continue,” he also confided. “It won’t bother anyone, especially the girls, they are used to changing coaches in their club.”

In any case, they will have the satisfaction of having avoided Group B, which was very tough with the United States, Germany and Australia in particular, even if two of the third-placed groups will reach the quarter-finals among the women. The women’s tournament and its three groups of four teams, without any age limit, is in any case denser than the men’s and its four groups of four.

“For the women, it will be a bit like the World Cup, with all the best teams,” commented Arsène Wenger during the draw.

With AFP