France announce pre-Olympic schedule of powerhouse opponents

PARIS (France) - France have announced a competitive schedule of warm-up games for the 2024 Olympics that includes two clashes with FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 winners Germany, and friendly contests with Canada and Serbia, who also reached the podium in Manila.

Coming off an 18th place finish at the World Cup, which included an opening day defeat to the Canadians, France's Olympic campaign will tip off on June 17 in Paris.

And looking at their preparation schedule, it is clear that despite last year's results at the World Cup, Vincent Collet's team will be very ambitious heading into the Olympic Games at home. Following 15 days of preparation, the team will face Turkiye at the Kindarena in Rouen on July 3.

Les Bleus will then travel to Cologne to face World Cup MVP Dennis Schroder and Germany on July 6 at the Lanxess Arena, the same location of the meeting between the sides in the Group Phase of FIBA EuroBasket 2022.

France will meet Germany against in Cologne on July 6

Germany and France will square off again just two days later at the Sud de France Arena in Montpellier, before going to Lyon-Decines for a July 12 game in the LDLC Arena against Serbia, the team that lost to Germany in the World Cup Final, 83-77.

Canada and France will meet again after battling each other in Jakarta last year at the World Cup

The Tricolores will wrap up their preparations at the Co'Met Arena in Orleans with games against Canada, who beat the USA in the Third-Place Game at the World Cup, on July 19, and then against Australia on July 21. The Boomers, bronze-medal winners at the last Olympics, are No. 4 in the FIBA World Ranking.

France's roster has not been announced yet and Les Bleus will soon meet in February for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers but one name always comes up in conversation, that of superstar NBA rookie Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs man is making himself available for the Olympics. On Sunday night, Wembanyama said in a press conference:  "I want to play every time. So, yes, if I am selected, if I am available, I want to play, of course." His agent confirmed three days later that he will be with the French National Team this summer.

Wembanyama, who played in European Qualifiers for the World Cup, is likely to play for France at the Olympics 

 FIBA