2024 Olympic football draw: USWNT, USMNT groups, matchups revealed ahead of Paris 2024

For the U.S. women’s national team, it’s a chance to rebuild its reputation as the world’s best under a new head coach. For the U.S. men, it’s an opportunity 16 years in the making.

Both learned their paths to gold on Wednesday, as the final draw was held for the men’s and women’s Olympic soccer tournaments set for this summer in France.

The USWNT, who already knew it’d be in a group with Germany, saw the other pieces of the puzzle fall into place: it’ll be joined by Australia and a yet-to-be-determined CAF team in a tough Group B as it looks to improve on a bronze medal finish in the previous Olympics. Australia, of course, is led by former USWNT assistant Tony Gustavsson.

Once a virtually invincible world power, the cracks in the USWNT foundation have grown noticeably larger in past years. That culminated in a disappointing Olympic bronze in 2021, crashing out in the World Cup Round of 16 over 7 months ago, the exit of Vlatko Andonovski, and the hiring of Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes, who will make her debut in the technical area on June 1 for a pre-Olympics friendly vs. South Korea in Commerce City, Colo.

Before that, the U.S., led by interim boss Twila Kilgore, will partake in the SheBelieves Cup against Japan on April 6 in Atlanta and April 9 in Columbus.

Meanwhile, the U.S. men, in its first Olympics since 2008, have been grouped with hosts France, New Zealand, and a yet-to-be determined AFC or CAF play-off winner.

That U.S. roster from 16 years ago featured names such as Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, Freddy Adu, a pair of current Atlanta United teammates in Brad Guzan and Dax McCarty, and former Atlanta man Michael Parkhurst. (Another name with Five Stripes ties: former Atlanta match analyst Mo Edu, now with MLS Season Pass.)

Fast forward to 2024, and a roster that could see a current Atlanta United name, Caleb Wiley, make the trip to France. He’ll be involved in the leadup to the tournament that includes friendlies on Friday against Guinea (in Spain) and Monday against the French.

Meanwhile, Atlanta’s No. 10, Thiago Almada is all but a shoo-in to be part of Argentina’s roster, who should fancy their chances to make it to the knockout stage out of a group featuring Morocco, an AFC qualifier, and Ukraine. After back-to-back golds in 2004 and 2008, La Albiceleste failed to qualify in 2012 and are coming off two straight group stage exits.

And there’s a very strong chance the U.S. and Argentina meet in the knockout round: the runner-up of Group B is paired with the winner of Group A.

2024 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament groups

2024 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament groups