Paris Olympics 2024: Football Ferns and Oly Whites both draw host nation

Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·

20 Mar, 2024 08:41 PM3 mins to read

The Oly Whites have never progressed past the group stage. Photo / Photosport

The Football Ferns have drawn formidable opponents at the Paris Olympic Games, as they find themselves grouped with hosts France and reigning gold medalists Canada in Group A.

Completing the group announced in Paris this morning is Colombia - the dynamic Fifa Women’s World Cup breakout team.

The Football Ferns will face France, Canada and Colombia in the group stage of the Paris Olympics. Photo / Photosport

While the draw may not have favoured them for a direct path to the finals, there’s still an opportunity for advancement. Like they did at the London Games in 2012, the Ferns can secure a knockout spot by finishing as one of the top two third-placed teams across the four groups.

In Group B, the Matildas have the daunting task of facing the United States, the world’s most decorated women’s football team. Joining them are Germany, with the fourth team in the group to be determined from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) lineup, adding another element of unpredictability to the mix.

The #Paris2024 @Olympics Football Tournament groups are locked in! 👊 pic.twitter.com/wWeOjRAdQh
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 20, 2024

Oly Whites drawn in Group A

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s under-23 men’s team, the Oly Whites, have been placed in Group A alongside hosts France and the US, setting the stage for an exciting Olympic campaign. The fourth slot in the group will be determined through an Inter-Confederation Playoff between the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and CAF.

In their first match of the tournament, the Kiwis will face either Guinea from Africa or one of the following AFC contenders: Australia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Uzbekistan or Vietnam.

This marks the fourth appearance of the New Zealand men’s team in the Olympics, who reached the quarterfinals in 2020.

The Oly Whites can select three overaged players, a strategic advantage they will undoubtedly leverage to strengthen their squad. At the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Premier League striker and All Whites captain Chris Wood was called up as an overaged player, alongside Winston Reid and Michael Boxall.

The Oly Whites first match kicks off on July 25, followed by the Football Ferns a day later.

Women’s football will be the headline final match taking place on the last day of the Games on August 11 marking the first time in Olympic history that the women’s tournament will close out the Games.

Oly Whites’ matches