Paris 2024 will be the ninth consecutive edition of the Olympic Games where France men’s senior national team is in the line-up and the European powerhouse has never finished lower than the sixth place, at Sydney 2000. In fact, France have sealed five medals in the process, having a 63% hitrate in podiums, with three gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.

There has not been a final in the men’s competition without France since Athens 2004, as France have also won 47 of the 62 matches they played, with a fantastic 75% winning rate, the best between the teams which have played at least 30 matches at the Olympic Games.

But the pressure is definitely on France’s shoulders, as they won three of the last four editions of the Olympic Games and are due to deliver another excellent outing on their home court, being surely a big focus for the home fans in Paris and Lille at Paris 2024.

This will also be a special edition of the Olympic Games for superstar Nikola Karabatić, who turned 40 years old in April, and will finish his career after the end of Paris 2024. The left back will feature for the fifth time at the Olympic Games and will probably leapfog Russia’s Andrey Lavrov as the player with the alrgest number of matches in history in the competition. Karabatić is now on 32 matches, three less than Lavrov, with France’s star being able to deliver that performance against Argentina, in the preliminary round.

With only 14 players in the squad, plus three other athletes ready to substitute, coach Guillaume Gille needed plenty of time to think about his roster, with several high-profile players left out. Moreover, right back Dika Mem, arguably France’s most important player, suffered an injury during the training camp, needing several days of full rest, with centre back Kentin Mahé recalled by coach Guillaume Gille.

“What I have seen since the beginning of the training camp makes me think that everyone is ready to fight and make a lot of effort. This is the basis for a successful start to preparation on a physical level. The Olympic Games are a different competition and everyone, in their personal journey, wants to participate. When we add the fact that this competition will take place in France, in Paris in Lille, since obtaining these Games 7 years ago, this desire has continued to grow,” says Gille.

As Gille made his choice, several players were left out, including Mahé or Timothey N’Guessan, but France’s coach is adamant he made the best choices for his squad. However, reaching the knockout phase will definitely not be easy, in a very well-balanced Group B, where France will face Denmark in the first match, their opponents in the last Olympic Games final, the last final of the IHF Men’s World Championship and the last final of the EHF EURO.

Matches against Norway and Hungary are definitely not a walk in the park for France, nor the ones against Egypt and Argentina, as a higher finish in the group will likely mean bigger chances for the hosts to secure a place in the final once again, for the fifth time in nine editions.

France

Coach: Guillaume Gille

Key Players: Dika Mem (right back), Ludovic Fabregas (line player), Nedim Remili (centre back), Nikola Karabatic (left back)

Qualification for Paris 2024: Hosts

Previous appearances: 1992: Bronze medal, 1996: 4th, 2000: 6th, 2004: 5th, 2008: Champions, 2012: Champions, 2016: Silver medal, 2020: Champions

Group at Paris 2024: Group B: Denmark, Norway, Hungary, France, Egypt, Argentina