Although World Cup success has eluded them, the Canadian women's soccer team has enjoyed consistent Olympic success over the past 12 years.

Bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 were followed by a historic gold three years ago in Tokyo. Canada is now hoping to reach the podium for a fourth straight time this summer to further cement its reputation as an Olympic powerhouse.

Here's what you need to know about the women's football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

How does the Olympic tournament take place?
The tournament will take place from July 25 to August 10 in seven cities in France.

In the first round, twelve teams are divided into three groups according to a round-robin system. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals. The two best third-place teams from the basic ranking also advance.

The closing will take place at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

Unlike in the men's category (a competition predominantly for under-23s), there are no age restrictions for players participating in the women's competition.

How did Canada end up in this situation?
Canada and Jamaica finished second and third at the 2022 Concacaf Women's Championship in Mexico, forcing the two nations to face off in the Olympic qualifying playoffs.

Canada won the home-and-away series against Jamaica last September, with a 2-0 away victory and a 2-1 home win in Toronto.

Who is part of the Canada group?
Canada will compete in Group A of the Olympic Games and will face New Zealand (July 25 in Saint-Étienne), France (July 28 in Saint-Étienne) and Colombia (July 31 in Décines-Charpieu).

Canada is ranked eighth in the FIFA world rankings, six places behind France and well above Colombia (number 22) and New Zealand (number 28).

The Canadians have only faced Colombia twice, winning both times, in 2011 and 2012. Canada has an all-time record of 10-1-4 against New Zealand, with its only loss coming in 1987. Canada tied New Zealand 0-0 at the 2015 World Cup and won 2-0 when they met at the 2019 World Cup.

Canada's all-time record against France is 5-8-3. The French have won five of the last six games, including a 2-1 victory last April in Le Mans. But Canada beat France 1-0 in the bronze medal game at the 2012 Olympics and 1-0 in the 2016 quarterfinals.

“New Zealand will be tough to beat. They can catch you right away on the counterattack. You have to be focused and if history tells us anything about a New Zealand-Canada game, it's never been easy,” Canadian coach Bev Priestman told Sportsnet.

“France, I don’t need to say much about the national team. They have a lot of top players; we’re going to have to defend as well as attack in this game. Colombia is an unconventional counter-attacking team and has world-class players like Linda Caicedo and Mayra Ramirez. They have top players who can really hurt you.

“But they are three teams with three different styles and we will have to prepare for that.”

The other two groups are:

Group B: Australia, Germany, United States, Zambia
Group C: Brazil, Japan, Nigeria, Spain

If Canada wins Group A, they will face the third-place team from Group B or C in the quarterfinals. If you finish second, you will face the second-place team from Group B. If you finish third, you will potentially face the winner of Group C in the quarterfinals.

Who is on the Canadian list?
Priestman has assembled an 18-player squad that includes 13 members of the gold medal-winning team at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

The biggest names on the Canadian Olympic team are captain Jessie Fleming, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, defenders Kadeisha Buchanan, Vanessa Gilles and Ashley Lawrence, midfielders Julia Grosso and Quinn, and forwards Janine Beckie and Adriana Leon.

Six players — Beckie, Buchanan, Fleming, Lawrence, Prince and Quinn — will be competing in their third consecutive Olympic Games this summer. At the other end of the spectrum, midfielder Simi Awujo, forward Cloé Lacasse, defenders Jade Rose and Gabrielle Carle will be making their Olympic debuts.

Here is the complete list of Canadian players:
Goalkeepers: Sabrina D'Angelo and Kailen Sheridan
Defenders: Kadeisha Buchanan, Gabrielle Carle, Vanessa Gilles, Ashley Lawrence, Jayde Rivière and Jade Rose
Midfielder: Simi Awujo, Jessie Fleming, Julia Grosso, Quinn
Forward: Janine Beckie, Jordyn Huitema, Cloé Lacasse, Adriana León, Nichelle Prince, Evelyne Viens
Substitutes: Désirée Scott, Lysianne Proulx, Shelina Zadorsky, Deanne Rose

Canadian player to watch: Adriana Leon
If there is one player leading Canada's attack, it will most likely be Aston Villa forward Adriana León.

León, 31, scored a tournament-high six goals and added two assists for Canada at this year's Concacaf Women's Gold Cup. He was also named an all-time great at the competition.

He scored two goals and had an assist in the win over El Salvador, then scored a hat trick against Paraguay. León's hat trick was his biggest offensive outburst for Canada since he scored four times in an 11-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis in an Olympic qualifier on Jan. 29, 2020. His last goal came in Canada's semifinal loss to the United States.

Leon, from Mississauga, Ont., has 40 goals and eight assists in 114 international appearances, ranking third among Canada's all-time leading scorers.

USA looking to bounce back with new coach
The United States has dominated the competition since its inception in 1996, winning four gold medals, two silver and one bronze, missing out on a medal at Rio 2016.

But the Americans are coming off a round of 16 exit from last summer's World Cup and are currently in a transition period. New coach Emma Hayes, who enjoyed great success at club level with England's Chelsea, has been hired with the express aim of restoring the Stars and Stripes to their former glory on the Olympic stage.

World champions Spain prepare for Olympic debut
Spain's progression has been steady over the years. They qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 2015 in Canada, where they were eliminated in the group stage, and reached the round of 16 four years later in France, before winning it all last summer in Australia and New Zealand.

Paris marks the Olympic debut of the Spanish women, and it must be said that they are in a very good position to add a gold medal to their list of achievements. The Montserrat Tomé team has world-class players, including current Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati, and great depth on the bench. This is their tournament and anything less than a bronze medal would be a huge disappointment.

Marta's Olympic Farewell
Brazilian Marta Vieira da Silva, known simply as Marta, is widely regarded as the greatest female footballer in history, with six FIFA Women's Player of the Year awards to her name.

But the 38-year-old is yet to win a major trophy for her country, having settled for silver at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and finishing second to Germany at the 2007 World Cup.

Marta holds the record (men's and women's) for most World Cup goals with 17. The Orlando Satisfaction forward had previously announced that this would be her last Olympics.

Non-Canadian player to watch: Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
The FC Barcelona team has won many of the 2023 Golden Balls after winning the team to win the first consecutive titles in the UEFA Champions League, in addition to winning a winning title in the Spanish Cup and the Copa del Mundo. been passed.

Bonmati, 26, scored three goals and played in every game for Spain at the World Cup, winning the Ballon d'Or as tournament MVP.

The Spaniard is coming off a sensational 2023-24 season in which she guided Barcelona to their fifth consecutive Spanish league title. She also scored six goals in the UEFA Champions League, including the goal in the 2-0 win over Lyon in the final, to help her club repeat as European champions. She was voted the competition's MVP and was named an excellent.

Nominal power before the tournament
1. Spain: The reigning World Cup and UEFA Nations League champions will be looking to make a strong showing on their Olympic debut. They are the team to beat, as no other team can match their quality and depth.

2. France — Led by experienced international coach Hervé Renard, the French have a strong and talented squad and have the advantage of playing in front of their hometown fans.

3. United States — Although their offense has been inconsistent, the Americans should be considered among the favorites after winning the Concacaf W Gold Cup and the SheBelieves Cup earlier this year.

4. Germany — The European powerhouse will be looking to make amends for its surprise group stage exit from last year's FIFA World Cup.

5. Canada — A fourth consecutive medal is not out of the question, but it will not be easy for Bev Priestman's team, as it will first have to overcome a group that includes the host country.

6. Brazil — Can the South Americans finally succeed in Marta's last Olympic tournament? When Brazil is good, it is very good. But it lacks consistency, especially against the top nations.

7. Australia: The Australians finished fourth in their own country at last summer's World Cup without their top scorer, Sam Kerr. Can they repeat their run in France without the star striker?

8. Japan – A technically competent team, the former world champion (in 2011) could be successful in Paris.

9. Colombia — One of the rising nations in women's football, the Colombians are coming off a strong quarter-final performance at last year's World Cup.

10. Nigeria — After a long African qualifying campaign, they ended up in a very difficult group at the Olympic Games.

11. New Zealand — The Soccer Ferns made history by winning their first World Cup match on home soil last summer, but they remain complete underdogs.

12. Zambia: The African nation has made great strides in recent years, but cannot compete with the best teams in the world.

John Molinaro is one of Canada’s leading soccer journalists, having covered the sport for over 20 years for several media outlets including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Solar Media. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. You can find TFC Republic on here.

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