Olympics Edition – Everything you need to know about the Olympic women’s soccer tourney

The good, the bad, and the downright ugly ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Olympics Edition – Women's Soccer Preview
From The GIST Team

Happy Tiny Friday!

The Olympic Opening Ceremony doesn’t sail down the Seine until tomorrow, but the women’s soccer tourney kicks off in just a few hours. Always ahead of the game.

  • Before FIFA world No. 5 USWNT’s revenge tour begins today at 3 p.m. ET against No. 64 Zambia, let’s break down the 12 teams going for gold.
Quote of the Day
Quote On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for.
CanWNT head coach Bev Priestman looks up.

— No. 8 CanWNT head coach (HC) Bev Priestman, apologizing for the Canada Soccer staff members who used drones to spy on No. 28 New Zealand’s team during their July 19th and 22nd practices.

  • The offending staff member and his supervisor were immediately removed from the Canadian Olympic Team, and Priestman has voluntarily stepped away from her head coaching duties for CanWNT’s opener.
Olympic Deep Dive

⚙️ How it works

Official soccer ball of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Source: Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images

There are 12 teams competing in the Olympic Games, each bringing 18 rostered players plus four alternates. For the first time, those alternates can be called up to a game-day roster to temporarily replace an injured or ill teammate as long as the squad gives at least six hours of notice.

The tourney begins with a round-robin group stage, in which the four teams in the three groups (A, B, and C) will play all teams in their group once. Wins are worth three points and a draw earns one — but no points are awarded for losses.

  • At the conclusion of the group stage, the top two teams in each group — plus the two best third-place squads — will advance to the eight-team single-elimination knockout stage.

⭐ Group A: France, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand

Team Canada celebrates their gold medal on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic podium.
Source: Abbie Parr/Getty Images

🇫🇷 No. 2 France: Expectations are sky-high for the host nation to finally win a major international tourney. After their 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) quarter-final exit (also on their home turf) and their UEFA Euro 2022 semifinal run, France has cemented its reputation as a star-studded, ever-improving squad.

🇨🇦 No. 8 CanWNT: Dronegate aside, captain Jessie Fleming faces one of this tourney’s tallest tasks: stepping into recently-retired GOAT international scorer Christine Sinclair’s boots. A disappointing 2023 WWC group-stage exit looms over the reigning Olympic champs, adding redemption to the red and white’s dramatic French menu.

  • Thankfully, the squad has only lost three games since that WWC crash out, which friend of The GIST and CanWNT forward Adriana Leon told us boosts the veteran squad’s confidence.
  • To become the second team to ever win back-to-back golds, though, Canada will need to evolve from their defensive mindset and score some golazos.

🇨🇴 No. 22 Colombia: Fresh off their impressive 2023 WWC quarter-finals run, scrappy Colombia is the dark horse to watch with their strong, creative offense, bolstered by generational talent Linda Caicedo. The 19-year-old forward causes problems for even the best international defenses, making her a potential Achilles’ heel for squads like Canada and France.

🇳🇿 No. 28 New Zealand: Group A’s true underdog faced another blow yesterday when captain Ali Riley (another friend of The GIST) withdrew from the squad for medical reasons, costing her a fifth Olympic appearance. Now, this largely debutante team must rally to shock the world — and push past the spying.

✨ Group B: Germany, USWNT, Australia, Zambia

U.S. Women's National Team poses for a photograph.
Source: John McDonnell/ for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Content warning: This section contains mention of sexual assault.

🇩🇪 No. 4 Germany: After a downright shocking 2023 WWC group stage exit, things have certainly been better for the 2016 Rio gold medalists. In addition to their recently underwhelming results, the Germans are dealing with an ongoing coaching issue — interim boss Horst Hrubesch will leave the squad post-Paris, becoming the second leader to say sayonara to Die Nationalelf in less than a year.

  • Adding (literal) injury to insult, star midfielder Lena Oberdorf is out after a major ACL and MCL injury in last week’s UEFA Euro 2025 qualifier. Can Germany rise above these blows to find their groove again?

🇺🇸 No. 5 USWNT: Seven gold medals have been awarded since women’s soccer’s 1996 Olympic debut, and the USWNT have won four of ’em. But the Americans face a tough path back to the top after their disappointing 2020 bronze-medal finish and shocking 2023 WWC Round-of-16 ousting.

  • With the arrival of new HC Emma Hayes, a brilliant soccer tactician with a championship legacy, and her refreshed U.S. roster — the youngest USWNT squad since 2008 — the Americans are eyeing a return to glory.
  • How will Hayes do it? By harnessing the stacked front line of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman, and finally sorting out the squad’s midfield debacle.

🇦🇺 No. 12 Australia: Skills aside, half the battle of winning a major tourney is confidence, and the Matildas have proved over the last year that they can thrive, even without still-recovering superstar Sam Kerr. The 2023 WWC semifinalists have been dominating Olympic qualifiers, drawing record-breaking crowds and fueling a Down Under fan-frenzy.

  • However, the Aussies must overcome a myriad of recent injuries to win their first-ever soccer medal. Sometimes, it all comes down to timing.

🇿🇲 No. 64 Zambia: Watch out, Group B — Barbra Banda and the Copper Queens are coming. The NWSL Orlando Pride forward is arguably the world’s best striker right now — she’s tied atop the NWSL’s Golden Boot race and has notched 53 goals in 60 caps for Zambia. Plus, she became the first player to score back-to-back hat tricks in Olympic history at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

  • It’s important to note, however, that Zambia is currently playing under problematic HC Bruce Mwape, who’s under investigation for sexual assault of a player at the 2023 WWC. Unacceptable.
Sponsored by SpringHill Suites by Marriott

🥇 LFG (on vacation)

Two girls playing with a soccer ball in a hotel room
Source: SpringHill Suites by Marriott

As the Official Hotel Partner of U.S. Soccer, SpringHill Suites by Marriott knows being able to spread out is crucial on the pitch and in a hotel room, so they only offer suites with extra living and working space.

  • And that’s not to mention crucial conveniences like mini fridges and gyms, plus homey touches like comfy furniture and a communal fire pit.

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💫 Group C: Spain, Japan, Brazil, Nigeria

Spain’s Ivana Andrés lifts the 2023 Women's World Cup trophy.
Source: Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images

🇪🇸 No. 1 Spain: La Roja are coming in hot off their 2023 WWC win, having only lost one game in 2024. But, believe it or not, these Games mark Spain’s Olympic debut — and, compared to the WWC format, the Olympic tournament is considerably faster and more condensed, which could trip up the Spaniards.

🇯🇵 No. 7 Japan: The only team to beat Spain at the 2023 WWC? Japan. The Nadeshiko dance around their opponents, a strategy orchestrated by midfielder Yui Hasegawa, but their recent form has been mid: They barely squeaked into the Olympics. Regardless, today’s 11 a.m. ET rematch with Spain will be one of the group stage games to watch.

🇧🇷 No. 9 Brazil: The Queen of Football is hanging up her international crown. Currently sitting just one goal shy of tying the all-time Olympic scoring record, this will be the legendary Marta’s sixth and final Olympics. But beyond personal achievement, Marta wants to lead the transitioning Seleção back to the podium for the first time since taking silver in 2008.

🇳🇬 No. 36 Nigeria: The ultra-fast Super Falcons are back in the Olympics for the first time since 2008 and, this time, the physical, typically defensive squad is bolstered by a generational goal-scorer: forward Asisat Oshoala, the first Nigerian footballer to find the back of the net in three consecutive WWCs.

  • An African team has never medaled at the Games, and Nigeria admittedly played very few matches together in 2024, but Oshoala believes this group can defy the odds.

📺 How to watch

USWNT’s Mallory Swanson takes a corner kick.
Source: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF

Catch the USWNT’s must-see opening group stage match against Zambia at 3 p.m. ET today on the USA Network, Peacock, or Universo, and peep the full group stage schedule to keep tabs on all your favorite teams. LFG.

Sponsored by SpringHill Suites by Marriott
A family getting ready for a soccer game at the hotel
Source: SpringHill Suites by Marriott

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The GIST's Picks

Here’s what has GIST HQ buzzing:

⌨️ Who to follow

Sandra Herrera, a fantastic soccer writer and co-host of Attacking Third, another women’s footy pod for fanatics and fledgling fans alike.

🏨 How to live the suite life

With SpringHill Suites by Marriott. The Official Hotel Partner of U.S. Soccer offers exclusively suite-style rooms with extra living and working space, so you can live large no matter where you’re traveling.*

👕 What to shop

The U.S. Soccer 99ers Collection. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the USWNT’s 1999 FIFA WWC win with your own Brandi Chastain impersonation after copping her reissued kit from Nike.

*P.S. This is a sponsored post. Sweet.

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