Will Les Bleues win the World Cup at last?

A year after France’s men won the World Cup, its women now hope to do the same. The title has always eluded them in the past, so what are the odds they will win this year?

Les Bleues kick off the Women’s World Cup – the first to be held on French soil – at 9pm (GMT +2) on Friday during an opening match against South Korea at the Parc des Princes stadium in the southwest of Paris.

Ranked fourth in the world by FIFA, the pressure is on France to perform. The tournament comes after the men’s team won their second World Cup last year, and fans are eager to see the women take the title.

France coach Corinne Diacre has made no secret that she shares her supporters’ ambitions.

“For me, it would be a real failure if we don’t make it to the finals,” the former player said. “I’m not afraid, even if it is a lofty goal.”

String of defeats

Diacre hopes to erase the team’s past losses by finally placing a trophy on the mantel. In 2011, during the second time they qualified, France made it all the way to the semi-finals before they were knocked out by the United States (1-3). They then lost the third place playoff to Sweden (1-2) to come in fourth overall.

Four years later, they again missed their chance at World Cup glory after Germany beat them 5-4 on penalties (1-1 during extra time) in the quarter-finals.

The Olympics have been no kinder to France. They finished fourth at the 2012 Games in London. And in 2016, they were knocked-out during the quarter-finals by Canada (0-1).

Les Bleues’ bad luck has also dogged them at the European level. During the past three European championships, they have failed to make it past the quarter-finals.

An easy group?

Always a favourite, yet never champions; France are under tremendous pressure to deliver and finally join the ranks of the world’s best teams: the United States, Germany and Japan. This year’s squad is largely composed of players from Olympique Lyonnais, including the talented Amandine Henry, Eugénie Le Sommer, Wendie Renard and Amel Majri. Just last month, the team won the 6 UEFA Women’s Champions League.

At first glance, Les Bleues should easily dominate Group A, but their rivals could have some surprises in store. They first face-off against South Korea, ranked 14 in the world by FIFA. Although the Koreans have yet to advance beyond the final 16 in a World Cup competition, they are known for their intractable game and fierce defence.

France’s next match will be against Norway on June 12. Even if the Scandinavian team are playing without their star striker, Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg (who is in an ongoing dispute with the Norwegian Football Federation), Norway are undergoing something of a renaissance. The former World and Olympic champions have returned to form after years of disappointing performances.

Les Bleues’ final match in the opening group stage will be against Nigeria on June 17. Ranked 39 in the world by FIFA, the Super Falcons are three-time defending champions of the Africa Women Cup of Nations, and have qualified for every World Cup since the women’s competition began.

Injuries

Before the World Cup, France defeated Thailand (3-0) and China (2-1) during warm-up matches. The two games, however, took a physical toll on the team. Captain Amandine Henry was forced to watch the last match from the sidelines because of a back problem. She was joined on the bench by two other injured players: Eugénie Le Sommer and Amel Majri.

The roster of injured players has continued to grow in the run-up to the World Cup, but the team is not discouraged.

“Eugénie and Amel returned to the field [on Monday], and they will be able to play on Friday in the opening match. Amandine and [Griedge Mbock, who suffered a minor sprain] are also back, so there’s nothing to worry about. I hope they’ll be able to compete on Friday,” France goalie Sarah Bouhaddi said. “We’ve got a competitive group right now. If someone (can’t play), she will be replaced by someone else.”

Striker Gaëtane Thiney agreed with Bouhaddi’s assessment of the team.

“We’ve undergone serious athletic training to ensure we can make it through the entire competition. Coping with injury is a part of that. I can’t tell you how long it will last for, but we’re not in the least bit worried,” Thiney said.

Beyond the locker room drama, Les Bleues have to manage the pressures of playing at home.

“We feel it mounting, we’ve received a lot of letters of support. Our families will be there, and the media are increasingly present. It was already really intense during my debut World Cup competition in Germany in 2011. Here, playing at home, it’s way stronger,” defender Wendie Renard said.

Most of the team, however, view the support as an advantage going into their opening match.

“It’s going to be an incredible day for the French national team, because it’s the start of the World Cup and we’ve been waiting for this for the past four years,” Thiney said. “The ambiance of this World Cup match will be different from what we’re used to and it will give us a boost by allowing us to perform even better.”

A total of seven matches stand between Les Bleues and their ultimate goal. Until then, it remains to be seen whether they will advance to the World Cup final on July 7 at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon.