In 2023, women’s football is set to have a monumental year as the World Cup takes center stage during the summer. The upcoming tournament has already sparked significant interest, with France being considered one of the top contenders for glory according to jouerenlignefr.org. The team will be led by a familiar face in the Middle Eastern region as Herve Renard, who previously managed Saudi Arabia, has been given the opportunity to coach the women’s side.
Renard’s World Cup Journey
Renard’s departure from the Saudi Arabian national side would come as a massive blow for the nation, as they made considerable progress throughout his reign. The manager was also well-liked by fans, as he was one of the charismatic managers on show at the World Cup. Saudi Arabia as a nation enjoyed an entertaining ride at the 2022 World Cup, as they defeated Argentina, who would later go on to land World Cup glory. His ability to unite a team, despite being massive outsiders, was awe-inspiring. That us-against-the-world mentality will be needed once again this summer, as France looks to capture the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Dream Job
It is certainly a dream job for the French-born coach, as he was made to travel the world to make a name for himself. After a failed tenure with Lille, Renard began coaching national teams at the start of 2016. That was a hugely successful period, as he led Morocco to the 2018 World Cup.
He would also achieve success in other African nations, as he guided Zambia to a shock Africa Cup of Nations success in 2012, before landing the same honor with the Ivory Coast three years later. During his time with Zambia, Renard also captured the COSAFA Cup in 2013. He is also one of the only managers in African football history to have won the CAF Coach of the Year on three separate occasions.
Huge Job Ahead
It could be argued that this is the biggest job of the coach’s career, as he will be tasked with changing the fortunes of a talented French Women’s side. The nation has often underperformed under pressure at major tournaments, despite having one of the most respected domestic leagues in the world. France has reached at least the quarterfinals in each of the previous three editions of the World Cup, but they have been eliminated at the same stage in each of the previous two.
France also under-delivered at the European Championships last summer, as they were considered to be the main contender to land success. However, they were eliminated in the semi-final stage and were ultimately made to settle for third place. The one blessing from that run was the fact that they were able to overcome their quarterfinal hoodoo in the competition, as they were eliminated at the last eight stages in each of the three EUROs between 2009 and 2017. But, this will be their opportunity to go to the next level on the international stage.
Big Summer Ahead
This summer’s Women’s World Cup promises to be one of the biggest female events in history. Australia and New Zealand will play host to the best teams in the world, meaning that it is only the third event in inter-federation football history to have been played in the countries. The tournament gets underway at Eden Park on July 20, while the final will take place at the iconic Sydney Olympic Stadium on August 20.
France will be happy enough with the group that they have been drawn into, as they will clash with Jamaica, Brazil, and Panama in Group F. Their main danger in terms of finishing top of the group will be Brazil, who landed Copa America success last summer.
That makes their match in the second round of fixtures a must-win fixture for the French team. If they are able to top the group, then they will likely come up against Colombia in the following round, before a potential showdown with Australia could take place in the next round. However, if they finish second, a daunting clash with Germany could be set.
Can France Win The World Cup?
This promises to be one of the most open editions of the women’s World Cup in history. However, the top two in the betting appear to be incredibly strong. The United States has won the previous two editions of the competition and will be chasing a historic third victory this year. Meanwhile, England looks to be the pick of the European nations after winning the Euros last summer.
