The gold-medal game in men's football of the 2024 Summer Olympics is what football game fans have been waiting for these past months. France vs Spain for the 38th time. It's a competition like no other. And it's a century-old rivalry.
We weren't surprised at how men's football turned out in Paris, as Les Bleus managed to rise to the occasion on home soil while Las Rojos dominated international football recently. If you missed Euro 2024, then you must be living under the rock. The French Olympic football team steamrolled the competition, such that football fans didn't expect the quarterfinal game between France vs Argentina not to go to overtime. Or penalty kicks.
The Spanish Olympic football team, on the other hand, suffered a rare loss during the group stage. We foresaw Egypt making a deep run in the Olympics, losing to France in the semifinal. The bronze-medal game between Egypt and Morocco is something to look out for,and we'll talk more about it later.
Most football fans won't put the Summer Olympics in the same sentence as the FIFA World Cup (or the Euro). After all,. most of the players are 23 years of age and below. But the Olympics are the Olympics. It's all about the bragging. And many of these young footballers would have a successful (senior) career. What about France vs Spain?
France and Spain have a very intense rivalry in sport. And it always leans to the Spanish side. Some Spanish hoop fans would trash talk their French counterparts, rubbing salt on their wounds (after reminding them about their underperformance in the EuroBasket). The score is closer in football, where Los Rojos is the winner on 17 occasions. Les Bleus won 13 times. It was a draw between the two on seven occasions.
The offensive side of Los Rojos is the one to be feared. This is the main weapon in their arsenal, which have brought the Spaniards numerous titles in the international stage. It doesn’t make the Spanish roster, most of whom were 23 years of age and below, less capable than their senior teammates. They have to exert more during the finals.
Spain won the silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and they wanted to do it better in Paris. Spanish football coach Santi Denia, former Atletico Madrid defender, is hoping to win Spain’s first Olympic gold since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. This Spanish team has a remarkable record whenever they play in foreign soil, and it has something to do with how they dealt with a hostile crowd. They simply thrive on it.
No team would want to test their capabilities against Les Bleus on home soil. French athletes don’t follow the tried-and-tested route to winning, or dominance, but it would be OK. It should make those victories sweeter, if not more memorable than their previous wins.
French football coach Thierry Henry is credited for the remarkable run of Les Bleus. Many home fans wouldn’t expect less, but anything can happen along the way. Henry could count on the triumvirate of Alexandre Lacazette, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Michael Olise. Great job by the three, but they haven’t finished the job. Yet.
If France wins this Saturday, it would be their first Olympic gold medal in football in 40 years.
Fans who have watched the Summer Olympics would notice the French crowd. They love you or they hate you. And the French football team has been exceptional whenever they play in front of home fans. The Spanish football team may have the edge on the offensive, but the jeering can affect their form.
The bronze-medal game between Egypt and Morocco will be as exciting as the gold-medal game between France and Spain, but football analysts were surprised at Morocco’s steamrolling over Egypt (by the score of six goals to nil). Soufiane Rahimi, who plays for the UAE Pro League club Al Ain, is the top scorer of the Olympics. And it showed during this game between these two African countries.
Morocco finished 4th at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Morocco, along with Portugal and Spain, will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Moroccan fans are looking forward to it, but let’s talk about the near future. A third-place finish is still an impressive performance. Expect Morocco to do well in the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
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