Canada are in for a tough title defence here in Olympics 2024 because they will face some stiff competition as usual. Their journey starts in the group stage, where they’re bunched alongside France, Colombia, and New Zealand in Group A.
The United States, the winningest team in Olympic history with five gold medals, are with Zambia, Germany, and Australia in Group B, while Group C is composed of Spain, Japan, Nigeria, and Brazil.
While it has already been established that Canada and the United States are two of the competition’s favourites, based on the updated Olympics 2024 odds, let’s not forget the other teams who have a puncher’s chance of winning the gold.
So, who are these nations? Continue reading below as SBOTOP lists the four teams who can fancy their chances.
France
Since finishing fourth in the 2012 Olympics, France haven’t done much, so they’re hoping to change the narrative when they host the quadrennial meet this time around.
During last year’s Women’s World Cup, Les Bleus finished sixth after losing to Australia in the quarter-finals. Armed with last year’s experience, much of last year’s squad was retained, including their head coach, Herve Renard.
France have a unique mix of youth and experience, and they’re all playing in Europe’s top five leagues, making them one of the most talented squads in the Olympics.
Kadidiatou Diani and Marie-Antoinette Katoto are expected to create Olympics 2024 highlights for France, as these two Premiere Ligue rivals have combined for 58 goals in 143 caps.
Captain Wendie Renard (not related to manager Herve Renard) and Selma Bacha will be their pillars at the back, and the two of them combine for 40 goals in 192 caps.
Veteran forward Eugenie Le Sommer is also looking to make it count in Paris, as this will likely be her last foray in the Olympics. The 35-year-old has notched 93 goals in 192 caps.
Germany
Germany are looking to win their second gold medal in Olympic history here in Paris after first doing so in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro.
Alexandra Popp is the only player remaining from the 2016 squad, and she is hoping to win her second gold medal. Despite slowly approaching the twilight of her career, the 33-year-old remains dangerous in the final third, as she has tallied 67 goals in 139 caps for DFB-Frauen.
Popp has had a whirlwind journey in the past few years. After suffering a major knee injury in 2021, she made her national team comeback during the Women’s Euro 2022 and led them all the way to the final, ultimately falling short against England.
The VfL Wolfsburg striker won the Silver Boot in the Women’s Euro 2022 and was part of the Team of the Tournament. And then, in 2023, she was named Footballer of the Year in Germany.
Fortunately for Popp, she won’t have to do it all alone in the final third for Germany, as Lea Schuller is going to be her partner up front.
Schuller is expected to be available for Germany in Paris, which should boost their chances of winning gold.
Japan
With Spain expected to take the top spot in Group C, the second spot is up for grabs, and Japan are the favourites to claim it with their stacked deck.
The Nadeshiko are going to be led by Hinata Miyazawa, the winner of the Golden Boot award during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Miyazawa has suffered a fractured ankle since then, but she has been doing well lately for Manchester United and is ready for Paris.
The 24-year-old midfielder will be joined by Yui Hasegawa, Riko Ueki, Maika Tanako, and Mina Tanaka, all of whom are expected to shoulder the offencive cudgels for Japan.
Zambia
Zambia are back in the Olympics after going through a difficult route. The Copper Queens had to go through four rounds in the CAF Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament to book their tickets to Paris.
After losing 2-1 in the first leg against Morocco, Zambia needed extra time in the second leg to complete their comeback against Morocco by winning with a score of 2-0 (3-2 on aggregate).
Barbra Banda was the hero for the Copper Queens with her brace in the second leg. The Orlando Pride forward is a proven performer in the Olympics, as she became the first player to record back-to-back Olympic hat-tricks in Tokyo in 2021.
Banda will link up with Rachael Kundananji, who became the world’s most expensive female footballer when the 24-year-old joined Bay FC from Madrid CFF for $788,000 earlier this year.
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