Paris 2024: Your guide to the Olympic women's football

After the excitement of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, fans have only had to wait another year to see the best footballers battle it out on one of the biggest stages of all! Louie Cina has your guide to a women’s Olympic football tournament bursting at the seams with talent.

It's already been a brilliant winter for Australian football fans. There’ve been dramatic title races, new heroes born, legends retiring, and some thrilling continental competitions. Now, as the world turns its eyes to the French capital for the Olympics, football fans can get ready for two of world football’s more unconventional tournaments, the Olympics. 

How does soccer at the Olympics work?

In short, football at the Olympics sees 18 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams battle it out for medals. 

That’s interesting, but how is this tournament ‘one of the strangest in the Olympics’? 

Well, let’s start with the basics.

The men’s tournament has a unique rule. The 18-man squad must be composed of at least 15 players under 23 or younger, with 3 overage players. This rule is the only age cap in any Olympic sport. 

The women’s tournament doesn’t feature these age restrictions, but like the men’s, squads are limited to 18 athletes, both very unconventional and a far cry from the 23 permitted at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Because four fewer teams are competing in the women’s tournament, the two best third-place sides also advance to the knockout stage.

It is also worth noting that because there are no age restrictions, the women’s Olympic football tournament is held in very high prestige, second only to the World Cup. 

Qualification can also be very different from any other football tournament. Any FIFA-affiliated association is allowed to enter a squad into their respective qualifying tournament. These qualifiers often are pre-existing competitions, such as the Men’s U21 European Championship or the Copa América Femenina. The winner of these tournaments, and in some confederations, the runner-up and third-place team gain qualifications for the Olympics. 

Football is also one of the incredibly rare sports that begins before the official opening ceremony. 

In the women’s tournament, France qualifies as hosts again. They will be joined by Canada, the USA, Brazil, Colombia, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Nigeria, and Zambia. 

After knocking out the US in the most recent World Cup, Sweden headlines another long list of nations that won’t feature this summer in Paris. Fans will be without superstars like Pernille Harder, Beth Mead, and Vivianne Miedema as Denmark, England and The Netherlands all failed to qualify respectively. Unlike the men’s team, the Lionesses would have been able to compete in the games (as Team GB alongside Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales) but after they were selected as the nation to try and qualify on behalf of Team GB, they didn’t finish high enough in their Nations League group, a result that officially saw Great Britain’s Paris footballing dreams end. Several of the fan favourites that wowed the world in Australia last year also won’t be competing in France, including China, Jamaica, South Africa and Morocco.

Group A

France

Player to watch: Delphine Cascarino

Cascarino is a terrifying prospect for defenders. The winger had a frustrating season, only making 15 appearances following an ACL injury that saw her miss the World Cup. A goal in Lyon’s final domestic game and some great performances in the Champions League should give her plenty of confidence going into the games. A well-experienced member of this French side, her explosive pace and brilliant footwork will be a real handful for the opposition and there’ll be some full-backs who are very nervous that she appears to be back in her pre-injury form.

Tournament outlook: Manager Hervé Renard has a problem going into his final tournament with the French National Team. Even with their extreme abundance of talent, this side has been underwhelming and inconsistent. The 2nd ranked nation globally was eliminated by hosts Australia in the quarter-finals of the most recent World Cup, the third time in a row the team had fallen at this stage.

They lost another final to World Champions Spain earlier this year, and this group will be highly competitive and challenging. For France, this tournament simply has to end with a medal. At an Olympics on home soil, with a squad of players at the best clubs in the world, and after so many near misses, this could finally be France’s time. They can be there when the medals are decided, if anything is going to let them down, it’s their inconsistency at the business end of tournaments. 

Colombia

Player to watch: Linda Caicedo

Linda Caicedo’s story is incredible. She was diagnosed with cancer at 15 and underwent surgery to remove the tumour that left her bedridden for multiple months. Inconceivably, less than three years later she became the second youngest scorer in Women’s World Cup history. The Real Madrid striker is only 19, but she is already so important to what Colombia do. She’s scored World Cup goals that have been nominated for the Puskas Award, been linked with every club under the sun, and won the Golden Girl Award for being the best young player in Europe. Her ability to create chances out of nowhere will be invaluable to Colombia in what is set to be an incredibly tight group. 

Tournament outlook: Colombia can count themselves very unlucky with their draw. Not only did they end up in the same group as the world number 2 side in France, but also reigning gold medalists Canada. Still, the women’s tournament having the two best third-place sides making the knockouts will give them a lot of hope. Their energy and sheer determination will be two massive assets in Paris, but the South Americans will need more than just that. They’re going to have to keep things tight defensively and most likely grab points off at least one of the two favourites, but, as they showed in Melbourne where they beat Germany, this is a side well capable of a giant-killing. 

Canada

Player to watch: Jessie Fleming

New Canada captain and Portland Thorns superstar Jessie Fleming will come into this tournament hungry. The crafty midfielder has plenty to motivate her, namely the disappointment of a group-stage exit in Australia and a willingness to show what a Canadian side led by her can do. Her reading of the play is superb and she has the physical acumen and aggression to take a close game by the scruff of the neck and win it singlehandedly. Expect her to lead from the front as Canada tries to make a statement in a tough group.

Tournament outlook: Canada won gold the hard way in Tokyo. They scraped past Brazil on penalties before disposing of the formidable USWNT to set up a final with the giants of the women’s game Sweden. The Canadians won, making history with their first gold in women’s football. This slog of a campaign will remind them that they can be the best regardless of any draw, something that will come in handy in what looks like a very challenging group. Canada has a big advantage in terms of experience though, with a staggering seven players having won over a century of caps. They’ve been the best before and they’ll be aiming for that again, after an awful World Cup campaign, expect the Canadians to be around the medals in Paris. 

New Zealand

Player to watch: Katie Bowen

With Football Ferns icon Ali Riley’s gametime slowly waning in the NWSL and New Zealand’s calibre of opponents, defensive solidity will be both more important and more challenging than it has been in a long time for the Kiwis. Though not a centre-back by trade, Bowen performed the role with distinction during New Zealand’s home World Cup and will be looking to replicate those performances in Paris. Her experience in some of the best leagues in the world should give her a cool head which will be crucial in such a challenging group. 

Tournament outlook: The prospects are bleak for the Kiwis. They head into the games off the back of a decision from manager Jitka Klimková to not return to the team after an independent workplace investigation and a series of uninspiring results against Japan and Zambia. Still, they famously shocked powerhouses Norway in their World Cup opener, so it would be premature to completely write them off. It will be very hard for the Kiwis to make it out of this group, and the manner in which they open their tournament against Canada will likely dictate the rest of it.

Group A prediction: In a group with two heavyweights, one exciting team on the rise and a plucky underdog capable of brilliance, Group A isn’t the easiest to predict. The quality of France and Canada should ultimately prevail, seeing them advance automatically and setting up a showdown between Colombia and New Zealand for 3rd. Colombia’s star power and the experience they gained from going far into a tournament in Australia and New Zealand and will likely see them take 3rd spot, and in a strong enough position to advance to the round of 16. 

Canada 7

France 5

Colombia 4

New Zealand 0

Group B

USA

Player to watch: Crystal Dunn

In a team full of superstars, it's nearly impossible to single out just one player to focus on. Dunn’s advantage is in her versatility and wealth of experience. At 32, she’s entering her third Games and is yet to win gold. A big weapon for the US is Dunn’s connection to new manager Emma Hayes, having played under her at Chelsea. She will act like a Swiss Army Knife for the States, being well capable of playing anywhere from left-back to attacking midfield. Her creativity, match reading, and problem-solving will be invaluable to the USWNT and Hayes as they battle it out in what looks to be the tournament’s tightest group. 

Tournament outlook It’s been 12 years since the USWNT won Olympic Gold. Even though they’ve been dominant domestically, winning all continental competitions and the SheBelieves Cup, their performances at major tournaments have been lacklustre, to say the least. Making their name a team that won through performances under pressure, they could only muster Bronze in Tokyo and were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Sweden at the last World Cup. But this US team has a new look for Paris. They’ll be without stalwarts Carli Lloyd and Megan Repinoe who’ve both retired since Tokyo, and new manager Emma Hayes showed she wasn’t afraid to be ruthless as she chose not to select Alex Morgan who despite 224 caps, was left out on form. Hayes has been long regarded as one of the greatest managers in world football and she could be the USWNT’s missing piece. A serial winner, she took Chelsea to the English title seven times, including five consecutively, and won almost everything else on offer. She is the perfect person to take this US team at a crossroads through the tournament, and even though they’ve had stronger squads, expect them to be strong contenders for the gold. 

Zambia

Player to watch: Barbra Banda

If you were wondering where the two most expensive female footballers were from, you might be surprised to know the answer is Zambia in the form of Barba Banda and Racheal Kundananji. Both 24-year-olds are Zambia’s best assets, but Banda just edges the most expensive female footballer as the player to watch. After being in the headlines in 2022 following a ban for failing ‘gender eligibility tests’, Banda has made a splash in the States after a record move, netting 11 goals in as many games. She has 53 strikes in 60 caps for Zambia and will need to add to it if Zambia wants to make it out of this group. Fortunately for the Copper Queens, she’s proved that she can do it, scoring consecutive hattricks in Tokyo. 

Tournament outlook: Zambia may be the weakest team on paper, but in no way should they be dismissed as a group there just to make up numbers. In recent years, they’ve been a team on the rise, earning the nation’s first spot in a World Cup, men's or women’s, and finishing 3rd in the Africa Cup without several of their stars. Their strongest area is easily at the top of the pitch with the two most expensive female footballers of all time who as shown in Australia and New Zealand, can and will score in the big matches. They’ll need everyone to step up though if they want to even make it out a group of heavyweights. Zambia will be most confident against Germany, a side they beat in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup. As unlikely as it is, if they can somehow stay in with a mathematical chance until their Match Day 3 game against the Germans, we have the potential to see a famous victory. 

Australia

Player to watch: Hayley Raso

The Matildas are loaded with superstars all over the pitch, but there’s a very noticeable absence up top: Sam Kerr. Shockwaves went through the Aussie camp when the Chelsea striker pulled up injured just before the World Cup, but the Matildas showed that they could fine without her, earning a best ever finish. This finish was in large part due to the brilliance of Hayley Raso. With her iconic ribbons, she’s a workhorse on the right, running all day, causing problems, and providing goals. Her electric pace combined with her vision alongside her finishing abilities is enough to frighten any defender and she has the skill to produce a moment of brilliance and be the difference maker.  Without Kerr again, she’ll be looking to replicate the form she had at the World Cup and if she performs, likely the Aussies will too. 

Tournament outlook: Indications from their camp suggest that the only way these games are successful for the Matildas is if they win a medal. After coming agonisingly close in Tokyo in their bronze medal match against the USWNT, and being knocked out by the Lionesses on home soil in the semis of the World Cup, the Matildas will be ravenous for glory. Perhaps one of the biggest differences between those losing sides and this one is that this one knows they can play and win without Sam Kerr. Manager Tony Gustavsson has had since January to plan for life without Kerr in Paris and forwards like Michelle Heyman, Courtney Vine, and Caitlyn Foord have had plenty of practice in a system without their iconic striker. Despite all their hard work, just making it out of the group will be a challenge. Germany and the US are both very good sides, and Zambia are on a rapid rise. All that said, Australia will fancy themselves against any side in the world on their day. They’ll have to beat the best to do it, but this could be the team to finally bring home Australia’s first gold in football. 

Germany

Player to watch: Alexandra Popp

At 33, Popp is one of the best strikers in world football. She plies her trade for giants Wolfsburg in Germany and already has an Olympic gold medal under her belt. As Germany’s captain, this experience as part of a winning squad will prove invaluable. She’s very dangerous in the box, being clinical both by foot and head. Her style of play is complemented by wingers Klara Buhl and Jule Brand who’ll create plenty of problems themselves alongside assisting their talismanic captain. Expect Popp, as always to be in the goals as she leads this German side hell-bent on redemption.

Tournament outlook: Germany simply cannot go two major tournaments in a row without making it out of the group. Being placed in Group B makes that task far less straightforward than it could have been. But despite the big names on show, the Germans won’t be starstruck, especially given their hefty arsenal of superstars. The older players on this team like Kathrin Hendrich and Sara Doorsoun will have to utilise their experience to keep level heads and try to ensure this squad can become the winning machine it has the potential to be. They should have enough to make it out of the group, although keep an eye on their tie with Zambia, as the European giants have shown they’re capable of dropping games to sides they’re far better than. Still, they will have identified those areas for improvement and Germany are yet another team who in the most competitive-ever edition of this tournament are genuine gold medal contenders.

Group B Prediction:

In the most competitive ever edition of this tournament, Group B looks to be the group of death, and any of the four teams could advance. Ultimately, I think that the occasion will be too much for Zambia, and they’ll put up a decent fight, but be overwhelmed by the pure class of their three opponents. Germany will be as ruthless as possible, and I see them being able to overwhelm a Matildas side that just can’t seem to put it together in major tournaments. I think that an Emma Hayes-inspired US side will just pip the Aussies for the automatic spot, with the two sides battling out an intense draw on the final match day. The one advantage for the Aussies is that they play Zambia after the US, which may help them out with goal difference calculations, a factor incredibly important with only the two best third-place sides going through. With the caliber of teams on display, there will almost certainly be a lot of very fun, skilful, tight games in this group

Germany 7

USA 5

Australia 4

Zambia 0

Group C

Spain

Player to watch: Aitana Bonmatí

At just 26, you could argue that Aitana Bonmatí has completed football. She’s won the Champions League, a World Cup, the European Nations League, and the Spanish league title a tidy five consecutive times. On an individual level, her trophy case is somehow even more impressive. In 2023 alone, she scooped up The Best FIFA Women’s Player, the Balon d’Or, and the Golden Ball for being the player of the tournament at the World Cup. Bonmatí’s best ability is arguably the way she can move the ball. She is always a step ahead, planning her move long before she receives the ball and being central to the Spanish move with the way she uses her possession when she gets it. She’s one of the best players in the world at the peak of her powers, and opponents should be very worried. 

Tournament outlook:As if Spain needed any more confidence, the World Champions are coming into this tournament off the back of another triumph this time in the European Nations League. This Spanish team is on another level. They were dominant down under, as they won the World Cup, easily disposing of England in the final and they’ve been near flawless since. This is a squad filled with Champions League and World Cup winners like Jenni Hermoso and Alexia Putellas, elite players who’ve been at the top for a long time and know what it takes to win. This may be the Women’s team’s first Olympic games, but it will be a real surprise if they don’t feature in the Gold Medal Match. 

Japan

Player to watch: Yui Hasegawa

Manchester City’s Hasegawa is a midfield Jack of all trades. Whilst she’s used in attacking midfield primarily for her nation, her role at club level sees her play as more of a holding midfielder, where she utilises her excellent passing to kickstart attacks. She’s brilliant on the ball, with fast feet, good speed, and powerful acceleration that helps her progress Japanese moves up the pitch fast. Expect her to be involved in nearly everything Japan does, as she pings around accurate passes and turns defenders. 

Tournament outlook: Japan’s opening game of the tournament is a rematch against the World Champions who they flogged 4-0 in the World Cup. This performance saw them show a ruthless edge alongside their fast-flowing, aesthetically pleasing style of play, and on their day, as they’ve demonstrated, they can beat the very best. Inconsistent performances for the rest of the World Cup and then an underwhelming SheBelieves Cup indicate that this Japan side hasn’t quite mastered the ability to get over the line in tight games regularly. This will be a tough group with the race for second and third being extremely tight. This squad should have just enough to edge an undercooked Nigeria and challenge Brazil, but may struggle at the pointy end of the tournament. 

Nigeria

Player to watch: Chiamaka Nnadozi

Making her senior debut at just 19, Nnadozi holds the honour of being the youngest-ever goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet at a World Cup. Plying her trade in Paris, Nnadozi has been turning heads since she burst onto the scene at the 2019 World Cup. Last year she was voted Africa’s Keeper of the Year, and a move to a bigger club seems inevitable. She is particularly good at penalty stopping, notably saving Christine Sinclair’s penalty at the World Cup on her way to helping the Super Falcons out of the group. Expect her to be commanding the box and defence as she looks to bring the defensive solidity that Nigeria will need if they want to make a deep run in this tournament. 

Tournament outlook: While Nigeria is undoubtedly a powerhouse of African football and a national team on the rise, there’s a big problem for them coming into Paris. They’ve played just a single friendly against Canada since their last competitive fixture back in April. In such a short tournament, where games are mere days apart, conditioning is so incredibly important. The question of whether the Nigerians will have enough to compete against three other strong teams with such little preparation remains unanswered. The Super Eagles have a brilliant midfield, and players like the in-form Onyi Echegini’s creativity may cause serious problems for opposition defences. That being said, it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to keep up with three such dominant teams and a group stage exit in their first games in 16 years seems as though it may be on the cards for Nigeria. 

Brazil

Player to watch: Marta

Whilst Brazil have players who’ll play larger and more significant roles in Paris, but all eyes will be firmly focused on Marta. The word legend is thrown around a lot in sporting circles and with it comes the debate about what makes a player worthy of being referred to as a legend. One thing is for certain, Marta is a legend of football. The 38-year-old is set to compete in her staggering sixth and final Olympics in Paris, and she’ll be coming with one goal in mind, gold. She’s certainly learnt a thing or two in her five previous games, being comfortably sat atop the table of all-time leading goalscorers at the tournament. She scores goals for fun, as evidenced by her also topping the same chart but for World Cups. A calm head with dazzling dribbling skills, set piece proficiency and a lethal shot, it will be a joy to watch Marta one last time as she chases that elusive gold medal. 

Tournament outlook:

Brazil was dumped out of the group for the first time in their last World Cup, leading to a coaching change, but it hasn’t quite clicked for the South American giants under new manager Arthur Elias. They lost to Canada and Japan in friendlies following his appointment and went on to lose to them again on penalties at the SheBelieves Cup earlier this year. This is a Brazil side in a transition of sorts as they try to implement a new system and unlock the potential of what is undoubtedly a very talented squad. One of the areas of concern however is goalscoring, something they’ve found challenging of late against top-class opposition. If Brazil can’t manage to fix that, the prospects seem bleak. Still, expect them to rally for Marta, but will wanting to do it for her be enough to see this Brazillian team triumph and see the legend end her career with Olympic glory? 

Group C prediction:

Group C is going to be close, and besides Spain winning, it’s a challenging group to predict. It seems as though an undercooked Nigeria will serve as a punching bag, especially with goal difference potentially being a big factor. This leaves Brazil and Japan. Brazil will be hoping to do the work early against Nigeria and Japan as they have to face Spain last. That game between Japan and Brazil may be the most important in this group, with the winner likely taking out second spot. Ultimately, I think that the game will end tied, and Brazil’s goal difference will see them advance automatically with Japan in third. The silver lining for the Japanese is that their 5 predicted points are enough to see them advance as one of the two best third-place teams. 

Spain 7

Brazil 5

Japan 5

Nigeria 0

After a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that broke just about every single attendance and viewership record, fans have had to wait less than a year for the next major women’s international tournament to kick off.

The Matildas captured the hearts of the nation, millions of Aussies will be up late at night cheering on their heroes in Paris. Similar scenes will occur in millions of houses around the world as football fans tune in to see the world’s very best battle it out for gold. 

With their world class squad, it all looks set up for Spain to have a debut to remember.

Their skill, experience at the highest level, and pure class seems capable of being enough to get past anyone in this field and I can see them winning their third international tournament in just over a year, defeating a dogged Germany. Though a silver would sting for the Germans, the recovery from such a disastrous World Cup is definitely something to be proud of.

Finally, I think we’ll see a battle of the neighbours for Bronze, with Emma Hayes’ USWNT claiming the Bronze. Still, in a tournament with so much skill and such fine margins, almost any team in it could take the gold, and each and every one will be aiming for nothing less.