It is shaping up to be an exciting summer as 12 teams travel to France and battle it out to win the Olympic gold medal. With only 11 days separating the men’s Euro finals from the start of the women’s group stages, there is a lot to keep you occupied.
Not quite clued up on who is heading to the Olympics or how it works? Here is your guide…
What is the qualification process?
There has been a mix of excitement and heartbreak following changes to the previous qualification system. It had been decided that the top two teams from the 2023/24 Nations League would claim a spot in Paris, with a similar system being used for the other continent's teams. Perhaps the biggest upset was the Euro winners, England, and subsequently Team GB, not making it to Paris.
How is it organised?
No alterations have been made to the structure of this tournament, so we will be seeing a familiar format. The top two teams from each group, plus the two best third-placed, will advance to the knockout stages – something slightly different from bigger tournaments.
The groups:
Group A
France
Colombia
Canada
New Zealand
The hosts, France, will face their last tournament with manager Hervé Renard after he confirmed that he will step down after Paris Olympics. When asked why he is leaving, he bluntly replied that his contract is ending and he wants to return to men’s football, something blocked during AFCON last year.
Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Cup, Colombia failed to progress past the group stages in both 2012 and 2016. After parting ways with their manager of six years in 2023, Colombia is entering the Olympics under new coach Angelo Marsiglia.
The current gold medal holders, Canada, are looking to bounce back from their defeat in the ‘She Believes’ Cup after a thrilling penalty shootout against their neighbors, the US. Entering their fifth Olympic games, and with their manager Bev Priestman, who led them to gold in Tokyo.
This will be the fifth appearance for New Zealand, known as the Football Ferns, as they qualified with an 11-1 win against the Solomon Islands under manager Jitka Klimková. With their highest result being the quarterfinals in London 2012, New Zealand looks to better themselves this year, but face a tough group.
Group B
USA
Zambia
Germany
Australia
One of the most talked about managers heading to the Olympics this year, Emma Hayes, is taking over as the interim coach for the USA. They have won Olympic gold four times since 1996 but couldn’t make it past the last eight in Tokyo. Perhaps facing the toughest group this year, the USA is looking to put their previous World Cup result behind them, which saw their former manager, Andonovski, leave. Hayes brings a fresh and exciting perspective to the national team, with the USA being one of the favourites to win.
Known as the ‘Copper Queens’, Zambia is set to enter their second Olympic Games. To qualify, Zambia entered extra time against Morocco to turn their original deficit into a 3-2 aggregate win. They may not be the favourites in their group, but they are certainly determined to prove many wrong.
Germany failed to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, but they are set to return this year. They also have a new manager, Christian Wück, who is currently the coach of Germany’s Under-17s, but will be the interim manager, Horst Hrubesch, who leads them to the Olympics. After a shock elimination from the World Cup group stages, Germany hopes to advance further in this tournament and has a group of talented players to do so.
The Matildas (aka Australia) are looking to improve on their 4th place finish at the last Olympics. With their recent growing fanbase, Australia will find support from many fans whose teams have not qualified for the Olympics this year. They are definitely contenders to win this year, but may find it tough in the group stage, especially with their captain Sam Kerr unlikely to play.
Group C
Spain
Japan
Nigeria
Brazil
Starting off with Spain, the current World Cup and Nations League winners. They are comprised of mainly Barcelona players and are led by Montse Tome. They enter their first Olympics with perhaps the strongest squad.
However, Japan’s shock 4-0 win during the group stages of last year’s World Cup shows that anything is possible in this sport. Japan struggles to get through crucial games, so their perhaps inexperienced team will be looking to secure more than the silver medal they earned in 2012.
It has been a while since Nigeria has been to the Olympics, with their last appearance in 2008. They are a team that is hard to break and will definitely put up a tough fight, which they will need considering the teams they will face in this group stage.
Lastly, Brazil, who have the joint highest number of appearances at the Olympics, are entering their eighth tournament. After crashing out in the group stages of the World Cup for the first time, Brazil has replaced their manager with Arthur Elis, who will lead them to the Olympics. Despite having a talented squad, this team is still struggling to reach its full potential.
Who are the favourites?
Popular opinion suggests Spain will go further this year, especially since England did not qualify and Australia are missing key players. Spain and Barcelona have dominated women’s football world this past year, especially when Aitana Bonmatí was crowned the top female footballer of 2023. The USWNT (US) have bounced back after their tough year and are also up there as favourites to win this tournament.
Don’t be discouraged if your team has not qualified, as there are exciting teams to watch - personally, I am cheering on the Matildas - and will be listening to ‘Strawberry Kisses’ (the Matildas favourite song which has subsequently become a fan favourite) on repeat.
So, get ready for a summer of sport and make sure you tune in between the 25th of July and the 10th of August to support women's football!