The Women’s Olympics 2024 Group A will feature host nation and potential tournament winners France alongside Colombia, Canada and New Zealand in what is shaping up to be a fascinating section.
With no age restrictions placed on squad selection for the women’s football tournament in Paris, Group A will be contested by four full-strength outfits in the competition’s first phase.
Women's Olympics 2024 Group B predictions
Group Winners – France
Expectations are high for host nation France at the summer games in Paris and on paper at least, Les Bleus will take one of the strongest squads into the tournament.
Semi-finalists at the 2022 UEFA Women's Championship, quarter-finalists at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and beaten finalists at the UEFA Women's Nations League earlier this year, Les Bleus will feel as though they’ve been knocking on the door in recent years and with home advantage to enjoy, a first piece of major silverware could be in the offing in 2024.
Experienced Head Coach Hervé Renard is tasked with masterminding success for France, though his players have had a tendency to wilt in the biggest games under his instruction.
Nevertheless, passage through Group A should be relatively straightforward for a stars-studded French collective. Lyon, who were beaten Women’s Champions League finalists last season, will have several representatives in the squad including all-time French top goalscorer Eugénie Le Sommer and current captain, Wendie Renard.
PSG hotshot Marie-Antoinette Katoto, 105-times capped Amandine Henry, Chelseas's Eve Perisset and Real Madrid's Maelle Lakrar are just a few of the other big hitters in tow for France and there is enough quality on Renard’s roster to claim top spot in Group A.
Runners up – Canada
Defending champions and gold medallists at Tokyo 2020, Canada will expect to navigate Group A successfully, even if a successful title defence looks beyond them.
The Canadians failed to live up to their billing at the Women’s World Cup last year when they failed to make it past the group stage, and their underperformance down under was seen as a major comedown after their triumph in Tokyo.
Despite that poor showing, Bev Priestman remains in the hotseat and Canada will arrive in Paris unbeaten in 13 straight games under her direction.
Without the services of retired all-time top goal-getter, Christine Sinclair, Canada have some big boots to fill in attack, though in Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign), Adriana Leon (Aston Villa) and Janine Beckie (Portland Timbers), they have players who can pick up the slack. Expect Canada to follow France into the knockout phase.
Third place – Colombia
Colombia were something of a surprise package at last year’s Women’s World Cup and they gave England a real run for their money in the quarter-finals before the Lionesses eventually prevailed.
Results since their adventure in Australia/New Zealand have been mixed however, and the Colombians were uninspiring in February’s Gold Cup when they were beaten with room to spare by USA in the quarter-finals (0-3).
Colombia have little in the way of Olympic pedigree to look back on with group stage exits in 2012 and 2016 their only previous efforts at the games, however, the two best-performing third-placed sides in Paris will make the knockout rounds this year, so the South Americans should be motivated to perform.
Chelsea's Mayra Ramírez, Atletico Madrid's Leicy Santos, Real Madrid's Linda Caicedo and Atletico Nacional's Daniela Montoya, Colombia have enough about them to be competitive, though they are unlikely to finish ahead of either France or Canada in Group A.
Eliminated – New Zealand
New Zealand qualified for the Olympics in routine fashion in the Oceania region, though the level of opposition they faced was weak, as evidenced by their 11-1 win over the Soloman Islands in the final.
The Islanders struggled against better opposition when they were eliminated in the group phase at last year’s World Cup, while a pair of Olympic warm-up friendly defeats to Japan earlier this summer also pointed to their inability to mix it with more formidable foes.
New Zealand have been priced at 100/1 to win the Olympics, which are the biggest odds attached to any team competing at the tournament and that should tell you plenty about their chances of escaping from Group A.
With expectations so low, Jitka Klimková’s charges can play without pressure for the most part and with Bayern Munich's Erin Nayler, Celtic's Olivia Chance, 32-goal Hannah Wilkinson and retired Crystal Palace centurion Ria Percival among those missing from their squad, New Zealand’s involvement in Paris could be brief.
Group A Winners – Potential quarter-final opponents
The winners of Group A will meet a third-place finisher from either Group B or C in the competition’s quarter finals. If as expected, France enjoy top billing in Group A, then their list of possible opponents on 3 August in Nantes could include USA, Australia, Germany, Spain, Japan or Brazil, depending on how the final shake-up falls in the other sections.
Our Women’s Olympics 2024 Group B predictions have tipped Australia to occupy third spot there and if our forecasts are accurate, a repeat of last year’s World Cup quarter-final between the Aussies and France could be on the menu in Paris. Australia won last year’s quarter-final 7-6 on penalties after the teams drew 0-0 after extra time, so Les Bleus could be offered an opportunity to exact some revenge.
