Picture by 2019 Getty Images
Playing in their "home" football tournament at Olympics Games Paris 2024 presents Les Bleues with a golden opportunity to break their semi-final curse on the global stage.
The French women have come painstakingly close to international success, only to stumble at the penultimate hurdle. Semi-final heartbreaks at the 2011 FIFA World Cup and London 2012 have earned them the unwanted tag of serial underachievers. The recent 2022 UEFA Euros semi-final exit only seemed to drive home the point.
But Les Bleues have every reason to feel optimistic about finally converting their successes at club level into international accolades.
French club side Lyon is an absolute powerhouse in Europe, boasting a record eight UEFA Champions League titles which makes them the most decorated team on the continent.
The record attendance figures from the 2019 FIFA World Cup on home soil suggest the potential for a French women’s football revolution.
The Frenchwomen have reached the quarter-final stages at every World Cup since their fourth-place finish in 2011 and it is only a matter of time before they make the breakthrough. The last edition could easily have gone their way following a penalty shootout against hosts Australia.
The team has been on an upward trajectory in the build-up to their home tournament, reaching the Nations League final where they lost to world champions Spain. They will go into the Olympic tournament ranked second in the world, adding more credence to French optimism.
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