Although the Euros and Copa America have come to an end, the Olympic Games in Paris are still to come. While football fans may not be particularly interested, we are in for a great celebration of sport. Some of the sports will take place in French stadiums, and some are sure to surprise!

XXXIII Olympic Games

The 2024 Summer Olympics will be the 33rd in history. Thanks to an agreement with Los Angeles, which will host the Games four years later, the 2024 competition will be held in the French capital for the third time. Participants will compete in 32 disciplines and 329 events. Compared to Tokyo, karate and baseball have disappeared from the programme and breakdancing has joined.

The International Olympic Committee has also introduced changes compared to previous Olympics, including gender equality, a reduction in the number of athletes to 10,500 and the number of competitions by 10. Also unusual will be the opening of the Games, which for the first time will not take place in a stadium but on the Seine scheduled for July 26.

Football at Games

Football tournaments at the Olympic Games have been held in Paris since 1900. Twice they have not been on the Olympic programme: in 1896 in Athens and in 1932 in Los Angeles. The first women's football tournament was played in 1996 in Atlanta.

Professional footballers were allowed to participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but only representatives from Asia, Africa, the CONCACAF zone and Oceania. This ban was completely lifted in 1992, however, introducing an age restriction. A maximum of three players of any age can play on each team, with the rest of the players having to be under 23 years old on the day of the Games.

Seven arenas have been designated to host the football matches, only one of which is in Paris. Teams will have to travel all over France, just like during the Euros.

© Jacques Froissant (cc: by-nc-nd) | Allianz Riviera

Stadiums where men and women will play football at the Games:

• Stade Vélodrome: 6 group stage matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals
• Parc Olympique Lyonnais: 6 group stage matches, quarter-finals, semi-finals, women's bronze medal match
• Matmut Atlantique: 6 group stage matches, quarter-finals
• Stade Geoffroy-Guichard: 6 group stage matches
• Allianz Riviera: 6 group stage matches
• Stade de la Beaujoire: 6 group stage matches, quarter-finals, men's bronze medal match 
• Parc des Princes: group stage and gold medal matches

Other sports at stadiums

France's national stadium will host several sports, with athletics dominating. Stade de France will host Rugby 7, sprint and long-distance running, as well as javelin and hammer throw. Fans will be able to spot the new lavender colour of the running track, which we have written a separate article about. Stade de France will also host the official closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

There are a few more unusual sports that will be on show at the stadiums. We know handball and basketball from sports halls rather than open arenas, and it is at the Games that they will be played at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. On a day-to-day basis, the venue is hosted by Lille OSC, the city's largest football club. However, due to the stadium's multifunctionality, it was most likely decided to play matches of other sports here. Euro 2016 matches were held in this stadium, and in June 2013 it was decided to name the stadium after Pierre Mauroy, former prime minister and mayor of Lille.

© Elisa / Valode&Pistre architectes / Atelier Ferret Architectures / Max Lerouge | Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy

Back to Paris, where the hockey matches will take place. Stade départemental Yves-du-Manoir was built in 1907. It was initially called Stade du Matin, then Stade de Colombes and Stade olympique de Colombes, to operate under that name from 1928 to 2012. From 1938 to 1972, it could accommodate 60,000 spectators. Three matches were played there during the 1938 World Cup, including the Italy-Hungary final match on 19 June (4:2). In the same year, the venue was the venue for the men's competition at the European Athletics Championships. In 2021, the decision was made to upgrade the facility. As part of the €101 million contract, new buildings were built and the sports pitches were renovated. As a result of the upgrade, the stadium now has two synthetic grass hockey pitches, four football pitches, three rugby pitches and a 200m athletics track. The hockey matches will be able to be watched by 4,000 fans.

Paris La Défense Arena was originally due to open in 2014, but the opening date was postponed due to local protests. The stadium's working name was changed from Arena92 to U Arena, referring to the configuration of the main stands and the shape of the structure, viewed from a bird's eye view, in November 2016. The venue was renamed in 2018 with the establishment of a contract with Paris La Défense. The stadium was originally intended to have a retractable roof, but was eventually built with a fixed canopy. The stadium cost €360 million to build and is used on a daily basis by the Racing 92 club. During the 2024 Summer Olympics, a swimming pool will be built in the facility to host swimming competitions and water polo finals. Who is looking forward to the start of the Games?

© Racing 92 | Paris La Défense Arena