Les Bleus have the most talented squad at the Summer Games, as well as the support of an expectant home crowd
Thierry Henry, in typical style, articulated just how much an Olympic gold would mean for France.
"If you don't come to such a tournament for the gold," he told the Olympics website, "there is no point coming."
Of course, this seems a rather obvious sentiment. Henry is one of the best players to ever kick a football, which isn't achieved by having an apathetic attitude towards the sport. Elite athletes tend to care.
Still, Olympic soccer remains a confusing thing – a strangely polarizing tournament given the unquestionable prestige of taking home a gold medal, regardless of the sport. And it seems, for this iteration of the tournament, no one is better positioned to do just that than France.
There are undoubtedly some talented teams to be found, which kicks off in earnest Wednesday. But France, in front of the millions of expectant fans, led by a national legend, and buoyed by the deepest squad in the tournament, really should run away with a medal that might just mean a lot more than the football world might have you believe.
(C)Getty ImagesThe squad
Kylian Mbappe, we are told, wanted to play for this Olympic team. That would make sense. There is a certain romanticism to it all. The Parisian kid, playing for his country, in his hometown, his team well-positioned – if not favored – to win Olympic gold. The narrative was already written. All Mbappe had to do was just the standard Mbappe things – score a lot of goals.
There's precedent here, too. Neymar, for example, did it for Brazil in 2016 to great success. But Real Madrid prevented Mbappe from representing his country. And that made a lot of sense. Mbappe is probably exhausted. Madrid want to protect his legs – and his broken nose.
Still, look beyond Mbappe, and this remains a vastly experienced squad loaded with talent. The star man is Michael Olise, who just made a big-money move to Bayern Munich. But it's not just him, either. France is home to arguably the best wealth of youngsters in world football – and most of them will be on display for Thierry Henry's side at the Olympics. Throw in the veteran presence of captain Alex Lacazette up front, and this looks a formidable team.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesThe star man
Perhaps most important, France possess the advantage of having a real match-winner to turn to. Olise was never an unknown quantity, but he did improve immensely for Crystal Palace last year. Formerly a mercurial talent who would pop up in moments, the attacking midfielder became a game-changing presence – constantly involved, playing a key part of every sequence.
And his impact expanded as a result. In just 19 Premier League appearances, he provided 16 goal contributions. The advanced stats are even kinder. He is in the 99th percentile among goals per 90 minutes, 87th in successful take-ons, and 99th in expected assists – an accurate calculator of how effective his final pass was. In other words, Olise, at 22, is looking a lot like an elite attacking midfielder. No other country at this Olympics can boast that.
Getty ImagesThe manager
Henry's managerial credentials, at a club level, are admittedly mixed. This idea, one of a club legend entering into coaching, is admittedly dicey territory. And Henry made the jump too early. When he took the Monaco job in 2018, he hadn't taken charge of a senior club side. It was a disaster waiting to happen. And it proved as such. Monaco were 19th when Henry was dismissed from his post after just two months – and he could have few complaints.
His resume has improved since then. A successful stint with Montreal Impact, and solid return to the Belgian national team setup as an assistant bolstered his credentials. He reportedly turned down the opportunity to coach the France women's national team, and was in the mix for the USMNT job in 2022.
A return to the youth national team scene, with his home country, seemed a shrewd move. And thus far, it's been a successful one. Henry has shepherded a talented group to a handful of promising results. This sense of gravitas seems to connect with a younger generation who know him more from legends cards on FIFA and YouTube clips than watching him tear up the Premier League. He appears to be the right man to get the job done.
GettyHome field advantage?
Global perception of Olympic Men's soccer is admittedly mixed. On the women's side, it means a lot. A lack of age restrictions mean that international sides can take their best players to every tournament. And more broadly, there's a real prestige to it.
The men's game doesn't share that. It's effectively a youth tournament with U23 restrictions – and the lack of FIFA recognition means that club teams aren't obligated to release their best young talents. The result is a relative sense of apathy towards the pursuit of a gold medal. For home nations, though, it's different. One only has to look at the scenes at the Maracana in 2016 after Brazil won Olympic gold – wild fans, Neymar in tears – to see that this could be truly meaningful for the host nation.
And although excitement on the ground in France has been measured, with Michel Platini dubbing the tournament "no Olympic sport" the fans lining the streets when Henry carried the torch last week painted a different picture. There's a real unity, which could be vital in the weeks ahead.