Olympic women’s soccer begins on Thursday with one burning question — can Spain create history? They won the Women’s World Cup a year ago but no team has followed that by doubling up and earning gold at the subsequent Games.
The Spanish will not have it all on their own in a competition stacked with talent — and many intriguing subplots.
For the United States, this is the first major tournament since being dumped out of that same World Cup in the round of 16 as defending champions. They have won three and drawn once in hugely successful former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes’ first four matches but have traveled to France without some of their usual stars. Former captain Alex Morgan, for example, will be supporting this new generation from home after being left off Hayes’ roster.
There are 12 teams in the women’s competition, divided into three groups.
Group A: France (current FIFA world ranking: 2), Colombia (22), Canada (8), New Zealand (28)
Group B: USA (5), Zambia (64), Germany (4), Australia (12)
Group C: Spain (1), Japan (7), Nigeria (36), Brazil (9)
If that 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was any indication, predicting who wins gold in the final in Paris on Saturday, August 10 is virtually impossible. Canada are the reigning champions, but a repeat seems unlikely, especially with an early scandal involving two staff members getting sent home already after using drones to spy on New Zealand’s training. And while we won’t be seeing their striker Christine Sinclair, who has retired from the international game at age 40, this edition of the Olympics will be the final call for another soccer great: Brazil’s 38-year-old Marta.
Here’s what to expect through 26 must-watch games played all across France over the next 17 days…
The favorites are…
Spain, full stop.
They top FIFA’s world rankings and have a roster filled with impressive stars, including two-time Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas and that award’s most recent recipient Aitana Bonmati. They feature veteran players such as 34-year-old Jenni Hermoso, and rising stars including 20-year-old Salma Paralluelo, who was voted the best young player at last year’s World Cup.
Over the past year, Spain have beaten European champions England in the World Cup final and France to clinch the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League title.
The latter was their ticket to qualify for the Olympics this summer — the first time Spain’s women have competed in the Games since their sport was introduced in 1996.
Spain lifted the 2023 World Cup and now they want more glory (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
How about the USWNT?
The U.S. women have a storied history in Olympic soccer, taking gold four times (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 — with silver in 2000 and bronze in 2020) in the seven editions of the tournament, and are the only country to win it more than once. They are a team in a transition at the 2024 Games, but do not discount them.
Gone are some of the veterans, such as striker Morgan, 35, and 39-year-old former captain Becky Sauerbrunn, and in are rising stars including 19-year-old forward Jaedyn Shaw. The likes of midfielder Lindsey Horan, 30, and defender Naomi Girma, 24, have stepped into leadership roles, leading this latest generation into a new era.
Girma is a proven leader on the USWNT (John Todd/Getty Images)
Now is a critical moment for the USWNT. They earned bronze medals at the previous Games in Japan three years ago, then exited the World Cup last August in the first knockout round. They now sit fifth in world soccer governing body FIFA’s global rankings, their lowest placing since those began in 2003. But if anyone is up for the challenge, it’s head coach Emma Hayes, who has had a storied career in the English club game, ending her 12-year Chelsea tenure in May with her seventh Women’s Super League title in that time overall and fifth straight.
The 47-year-old Londoner, who lost out to Spain’s Barcelona in two Champions League semi-finals and one final over the past four seasons with Chelsea, said to British reporters following her farewell press conference: “See you guys at some point, maybe Olympic gold medal final. I have to go and f***ing beat the Spanish at some point.”
One story you should know…
The Americans’ first group-stage opponents are Zambia, in the southern city of Nice on Thursday (9pm local, 3pm ET, 8pm BST/USA Network, Peacock). Despite being the worst team in the event, according to those FIFA rankings, the African nation boast two key players who have made waves in the NWSL.
One is striker Barbra Banda, 24, who had a breakout tournament at those Olympics in 2021, finishing as the tournament’s joint-second-highest goalscorer with six. Since moving to the NWSL from China’s Shanghai Shengli in March, Banda has dazzled with a league-best 12 goals for Orlando Pride, who are currently top of the league.
There’s also fellow forward Racheal Kundananji, another 24-year-old, who in February became the first African soccer player to be signed for a world-record transfer fee when joining California’s Bay FC for $785,000 (£608,000/€724,000 at the current exchange rates) from Madrid CFF in Spain.
The two players have raised Zambia’s profile in the States, making this opening match against the U.S. a must-watch for fans.
Kundananji has taken her Zambia form to NWSL (Hannah Peters – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Banda and her team are sure to dazzle again at these Olympics, despite what the team endures off the pitch.
The road to France has been littered with roadblocks for the Zambians, who were nearly locked out of the summer’s Games due to a political crisis within the country’s football association. The team faced a FIFA suspension following what the governing body called “undue influence by third parties” in the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). A suspension would have meant no Olympics.
The head coach, Bruce Mwape, is meanwhile being investigated by FIFA over claims he rubbed his hands over the chest of a player while at the World Cup last year. He had also been accused of sexual misconduct by several players, and is alleged to have intentionally touched a FIFA contractor on the breast during the same tournament. Mwape denies the allegations.
British newspaper The Guardian reported last week that Mwape was initially refused a visa to enter France, which has strict laws against granting them to those accused of sexual crimes. However, FAZ reportedly insisted it would be too late to replace the head coach for the tournament. One of the stipulations of his visa is that he does not have any private contact with his players, and any one-on-one meetings must be in public.
The toughest-group award goes to…
Good luck coming up with that answer. Some of the best sides in the world, such as England, who finished second in the World Cup after winning the 2022 Euros (they would then have had to become Great Britain at the Games, matching their broader Olympic team in also considering athletes from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), failed to even qualify.
The top two in the three groups, and the two best third-place finishers, advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals. Rules prevent neighboring countries from being in the same group.
Group A features hosts France and defending Olympic champions Canada. While New Zealand may be the least likely to advance, the Oceania nation had a historic showing at the World Cup on home soil a year ago. While they did not advance past the group stage, they stunned consistently-dominant Norway, 1-0, in a thrilling tournament opener that was their first win in a World Cup.
Colombia, too, surprised the world at that tournament, beating Euro 2022 finalists Germany 2-1 in the group stage on their way to a last-eight defeat by the same score against eventual finalists England. They have stars such as Chelsea’s 25-year-old striker Mayra Ramirez, Real Madrid forward Linda Caicedo, 19, and others.
Real Madrid star Caicedo is part of Colombia’s squad (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The U.S. and Zambia are in Group B with 2016 gold medalists Germany and Australia, who came fourth in the World Cup on home turf last year — their best-ever tournament finish. The latter will be without their longtime captain, Chelsea striker Sam Kerr, who is still recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury she suffered in January. Germany will be without defensive midfielder Lena Oberdorf after she injured her knee in the lead-up to the Games. Neither Zambia nor Germany advanced past the group stage at the World Cup.
The third group features World Cup winners Spain, plus Japan, Nigeria and Brazil. All are historically strong tournament teams, making this group the toughest on paper.
Brazil will be looking for redemption for their beloved captain, Marta, who has said these Olympics will be her final competition with the national team. The 38-year-old forward is regarded as one of the greatest female footballers of all time and has silver medals from the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and was also a runner-up in the 2007 World Cup, but has never won a major international title. Marta holds the record for most goals scored in World Cups, men’s or women’s, with 17. As for the Olympics, that career record is held by her teammate, 39-year-old Cristiane on 14. Though Marta trails just one behind.
At the World Cup last year, Brazil had a shocking group-stage exit, winning only one of their three matches. Marta’s teammates will work to hold her retirement off for as long as they can.
The standout match is likely to be…
Speaking of Group C, the first-phase game many may be looking forward to most is Spain versus Japan today (Thursday) in Nantes.
Japan defeated the 2023 World Cup’s eventual winners in the tournament’s group stage, 4-0, and their technical ability and precision passing that day was stunning to watch. Will this rematch (5pm local, 11am ET, 4pm BST) be a redemption game for the Spanish, or will Japan’s quality on the ball once again prove too much for them?
Japan humbled Spain at the World Cup – the two will meet again in France (Katelyn Mulcahy – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
You might not know this but…
While FIFA allowed each country a 23-player roster for the World Cup last year, Olympic squads are limited to 18. That has been a sore subject as match calendars become more crowded and player workload puts a strain on athletes’ bodies and minds.
It was revealed this month that teams have been offered more flexibility to deal with injured players during this competition. Each team is allowed to also name four alternates on top of the 18 in the main squad, and those players are able to replace an injured colleague as long as the team involved give organizers six hours’ notice. The injured player is able to return to the squad later, in a further caveat. This is a small but significant change.
The way Hayes sees it, even though official rosters are limited to 18, “there’s 22 (USWNT) players going to the Olympics,” she told reporters.
Fixtures in full
Group stage
Thursday, July 25 (all Eastern Standard times)
Group A: Canada v New Zealand | 11:00 a.m | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne (Match 2)
Group C: Spain v Japan | 11:00 a.m. | Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes (Match 5)
Group B: Germany v Australia | 1:00 p.m. | Stade de Marseille (Match 4)
Group C: Nigeria v Brazil | 1:00 p.m. | Stade de Bordeaux (Match 6)
Group A: France v Colombia | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de Lyon (Match 1)
Group B: USA v Zambia | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de Nice (Match 3)
Sunday, July 28
Group A: New Zealand v Colombia | 11:00 a.m. | Stade de Lyon (Match 8)
Group C: Brazil v Japan | 11:00 a.m. | Parc des Princes, Paris (Match 12)
Group B: Australia v Zambia | 1:00 p.m. | Stade de Nice (Match 10)
Group C: Spain v Nigeria | 1:00 p.m. | Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes (Match 11)
Group A: France v Canada | 3:00 p.m. | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne (Match 7)
Group B: USA v Germany | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de Marseille (Match 9)
Wednesday, July 31
Group C: Brazil v Spain | 11:00 a.m. | Stade de Bordeaux (Match 17)
Group C: Japan v Nigeria | 11:00 a.m. | Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes (Match 18)
Group B: Australia v USA | 1:00 p.m. | Stade de Marseille (Match 15)
Group B: Zambia v Germany | 1:00 p.m. | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne (Match 16)
Group A: New Zealand v France | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de Lyon (Match 13)
Group A: Colombia v Canada | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de Nice (Match 14)
Quarter-finals
Saturday, August 3
Group B winners v Group C runners-up | 9:00 a.m. | Parc des Princes, Paris (Match 20)
Group C winners v Group A/B third-place | 11:00 a.m. | Stade de Lyon (Match 21)
Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up| 1:00 p.m. | Stade de Marseille (Match 22)
Group A winners v Group B/C third-place | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes (Match 19)
Semi-finals
Tuesday, August 6
Match 20 winners v Match 22 winners | 12:00 p.m. | Stade de Lyon (Match 24)
Match 19 winners v Match 21 winners | 3:00 p.m. | Stade de Marseille (Match 23)
Bronze medal match
Friday, August 9
Match 23 losers v Match 24 losers | 9:00 a.m. | Stade de Lyon (Match 25)
Gold medal match
Saturday, August 10
Match 23 winners v Match 24 winners | 11:00 a.m. | Parc des Princes, Paris (Match 26)
All games will be broadcast by NBC on USA Network or streaming on Peacock in the United States and by the BBC in the UK
(Top photo: Getty Images)
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