Among the notable footballers included in this call-up are, for example, Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), and Loïc Badé, who plays for Sevilla. Although renowned players such as Kylian Mbappé, Eduardo Camavinga, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud initially showed some interest in being part of this expedition, they will not be at the Olympic event.

In the same vein of notable absences is the Paris Saint-Germain duo of Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola, who will also not participate in Paris 2024, despite being named by Henry in a preliminary list last June. All of them are currently at the Euros in Germany and are facing the Spanish team in the semi-finals today.

Given that the Olympics are not part of the FIFA calendar, clubs are not obliged to release their players. In fact, despite the efforts made by Henry and his federation to put together a list with more stars, Real Madrid, Atlético, and other top-tier clubs have refused to allow their players to join this squad.

Within the final French squad that Henry has assembled for these Games, the legendary Lacazette stands out, who is now 33 years old. The prolific scorer for Arsenal between the 2017 and 2022 seasons currently leads the offensive line for Olympique Lyon, where he remains crucial in front of goal. Thanks to his good form and an unflagging instinct, he managed to score 19 goals in the last Ligue 1 season.

Other significant players this season who have played key roles at their respective clubs follow him in importance. One such player is Michael Olise, the winger recently signed by Bayern Munich, who had established himself as one of the most promising attackers in the Premier League this past year. During his time at Crystal Palace, he netted ten goals and provided six assists, also showing a great ability to deliver passes and crosses from the right wing.

Badé also stands out in this new selection. The 24-year-old Sevilla centre-back is a defensive stronghold. He has played sixty matches in the year and a half since joining Sevilla from English side Nottingham Forest in January 2023. Meanwhile, Lyon’s forward Rayan Cherki and Rennes’ striker Arnaud Kalimuendo will participate in Paris along with Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is one of the three players over the age of 23 allowed in the team.

The French Olympic team seeks to replicate their gold from the Los Angeles Games in 1984 and, as hosts this edition, are part of Group A along with the United States, Guinea, and New Zealand. They will debut in the competition on 24 July.

18 player selection:

Goalkeepers: Obed Nkambadio (Paris FC) and Guillaume Restes (Toulouse).

Defenders: Loïc Badé (Sevilla), Bradley Locko (Brest), Castello Lukeba (Leipzig, GER), Soungoutou Magassa (Monaco), Kiliann Sildillia (Freiburg, GER) and Adrien Truffert (Rennes).

Midfielders: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Joris Chotard (Montpellier), Désiré Doué (Rennes), Manu Koné (Borussia Mönchengladbach, GER) and Enzo Millot (Stuttgart, GER).

Forwards: Rayan Cherki (Lyon), Arnaud Kalimuendo (Rennes), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace, ENG) and Michael Olise (Crystal Palace, ENG).

Substitutes: Théo de Percin (Auxerre), Andy Diouf (Lens), Chrislain Matsima (Monaco) and Lesley Ugochukwu (Chelsea).