There have been a number of standout performers in the tournament's opening week, but others have endured an Olympics to forget
After three incredibly intense matchdays in just one week, the quarter-final line-up of the 2024 Olympic women's football tournament is set. On Wednesday, the eight teams progressing from the group stage were confirmed, featuring expected names such as the world champion Spain and a four-time gold medalist in the United States, while Australia, a World Cup semi-finalist last year, was sent home early.
Despite only four nations being eliminated at the first stage, there has been plenty to talk about on and off the pitch throughout the opening few days of this year's tournament, and plenty of twists and turns have taken place to determine the quarter-finals that will be played on Saturday, August 3.
Before turning our attention to those match-ups, though, it's time to look back on the group stages at Paris 2024, as GOAL picks out the winners and losers from the first week of the tournament…
(C)GettyImagesLOSER: Canada Soccer
There's no sugar-coating it: Canada Soccer is in crisis. After a drone was spotted flying over New Zealand's training session before the first round of Olympic fixtures, two Canada staff members were home, head coach Bev Priestman was banned by FIFA for a year and the women's team was deducted six points – though, remarkably, it still progressed out of the group stage after winning all three matches.
However, the crisis is deeper than that short-term fallout. Other instances of drones have since come out, including one concerning the men's team's appearance at Copa America earlier this year, a tournament which it reached the semi-finals of. Reporting by has suggested more cases too, including one at the Olympics in Japan three years ago which ended with Canada winning a gold medal.
This story will not go away quietly. Canada Soccer has started its own internal review and the findings of that will be highly anticipated across the sport, as further digging takes place to determine the extent of something that federation CEO Kevin Blue admitted "could be systemic". Were other coaches involved? How long has this gone on for? Did the players know? The assertion from Blue on that latter point was that they didn't, that those on the pitch whose efforts have amazingly secured a quarter-final spot did not engage in any "unethical" behavior. If that is indeed the case, then they have been let down incredibly.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWINNER: Mallory Swanson
Through the opening few months of 2023, Mallory Swanson was absolutely flying. After starting the year with seven goals in the USWNT's first five games, she had asserted herself as a game-changer, someone who then-head coach Vlatko Andonovski had to consider as a starter ahead of the Women's World Cup – and then came the bad luck.
In a friendly in April 2023, she was stretchered off with a knee injury that would require two surgeries. Swanson has given gruesome detail on the problem, though her friendlier description of it being "literally the worst thing ever" probably still suffices in outlining how tough it was.
To see the 26-year-old soaring at the Olympics is a great comeback story, then. There is big competition in the U.S. frontline, but Swanson has proven that she absolutely belongs in Emma Hayes' best XI, with her one of the absolute stars of the Olympic tournament so far.
Getty ImagesLOSER: Tony Gustavsson
Yes, Australia came into this tournament without the talismanic presence of Sam Kerr, its star striker having suffered a devastating ACL injury back in January. Still, so much more was expected of the Matildas than what was produced to ultimately end in a group stage exit.
After all, Kerr was sidelined throughout last summer's home World Cup and Tony Gustavsson's side managed an historic run to the semi-finals there. The crowd certainly helped, but the removal of that should not have resulted in what we saw in France this past week.
Having come to terms with how to play without Kerr, Australia seemed to somehow unlearn that and reverted to looking lost. At the other end, the defending was absolutely woeful, with 10 goals conceded in just three games.
Head coach Gustavsson has delivered some remarkable moments during his time in charge of the Matildas. The run to the semi-finals of the Olympics in 2021 was a huge highlight, one surpassed last summer as the World Cup co-host went further than ever in a tournament that will have a lasting impact on the Australian women's game. That his tenure ends on this low, with his contract expiring at the end of the tournament, is a real shame then, given the progress this team has made in the last few years.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Aitana Bonmati
Few would've disagreed that Aitana Bonmati was the front-runner for the Ballon d'Or coming into the Olympics, and she only strengthened her case to retain the prestigious accolade in the group stage. After helping Barcelona to win an historic quadruple, its first on the women's side, the 26-year-old has showcased the quality of her all-round game at Paris 2024, her contributions in attack and defence helping Spain maintain its place as the team to beat.
That was particularly evident in the opening game against Japan, an opponent La Roja lost 4-0 to just 12 months ago. Bonmati scored Spain's equaliser, showing wonderful composure to cap a nice team move, and also won possession back a remarkable 15 times in the same game, some seven times more than any other player.
The midfielder is one of a number of world-class talents capable of changing a game in an instant for the world champion and the more she shows that, the more it increases the chance of both team and individual silverware.