Paris 2024 Olympics football draw: Emma Hayes’ United States face Germany and Australia | Football News
Emma Hayes will start life in charge of the United States women’s team against Germany and Australia at the Paris Olympics.
The draw for the men’s and women’s tournaments at this summer’s Olympic Games was held at a ceremony in Saint-Denis on Wednesday which Team GB did not qualify for.
It was announced in November that Chelsea manager Hayes will become head coach of the US women’s team at the end of the season.
The US, who hold a record four gold medals in football, were handed a tough Group B against fifth-ranked Germany and World Cup semi-finalist Australia plus either Morocco or Zambia from the African Football Confederation.
Defending champions Canada were drawn in Group A and will face France, Colombia and New Zealand.
World Cup winners Spain are in Group C with Japan and Brazil with Nigeria or South Africa to join as another CAF qualifier.
In the men’s tournament, the United States will face host nation France and New Zealand in Group A, plus the winner of a play-off between teams from the Asian and the African confederations.
World champions Argentina were drawn in Group B with Morocco, Ukraine and a qualifier to be confirmed from the AFC.
Spain, runner-up in Tokyo, are in Group C along with Egypt, Dominican Republic and another qualifier from the AFC, which is yet to be confirmed.
Group D features Paraguay, Mali and Israel as well as a final qualifier from the AFC.
Men’s Olympic football is contested between national U23 teams with three spots available for players over the age limit.
The tournament will begin two days before the opening ceremony of the Games on July 24, with the men’s final on August 9 and the women’s final the next day.
It will be staged across several venues in France including Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Etienne and Lyon.
Women’s Olympic Football groups
Group A: France, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand
Group B: USA, CAF 2 (Zambia or Morocco), Germany, Australia
Group C: Spain, Japan, CAF 1 (Nigeria or Morocco), Brazil
Men’s Olympic football groups
Group A: France, USA, AFC 4 or Guinea, New Zealand
Group B: Argentina, Morocco, AFC 3, Ukraine
Group C: AFC 2, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic
Group D: AFC 1, Paraguay, Mali, Israel
