The United States women’s soccer team will face Germany and Australia at the Paris Olympics when incoming coach Emma Hayes looks to get off to a flying start in the job.
The draw for the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments were held at a ceremony in Saint-Denis on Wednesday.
The record four-time gold-medallist was drawn against fifth-ranked Germany and World Cup semifinalist Australia in Group B. Those teams will be joined by either Morocco or Zambia from the African Football Confederation.
Defending champion Canada was drawn in Group A with host France, Colombia and New Zealand.
World Cup winner Spain is in Group C with Japan and Brazil. Nigeria or South Africa will join that group as another CAF qualifier.
The U.S. men’s team will face France at the Paris Games after being drawn in the same group as the host nation for the men’s tournament.
The U.S. is competing at the Games for the first time since Beijing in 2008 and faces a potentially daunting task after being drawn alongside France, coached by soccer great Thierry Henry, in Group A.
Also in the group are New Zealand and the winner of a playoff between teams from the Asian and the African confederations.
World champion Argentina was drawn in Group B with Morocco, Ukraine and a qualifier to be confirmed from the AFC.
Spain, runner-up in Tokyo, is in Group C along with Egypt, Dominican Republic and another qualifier from the AFC, which is yet to be confirmed.
Group D features Paraguay, Mali and Israel as well as a final qualifier from the AFC.
Men’s Olympic soccer is national Under-23 teams with three roster spots available for players over the age limit.
The soccer tournament will begin two days before the opening ceremony of the Games on July 24, with the women’s final concluding the event on Aug. 10.
It is the first time the women’s final will conclude the soccer tournament.
The soccer tournament will be staged across several venues in France including Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Étienne and Lyon.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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