Hervé Renard and the Bleues, it’s over. And the results are not good. In just over a year at the helm of the French women’s team, the former coach of Zambia and Ivory Coast has not managed to help Wendie Renard and her teammates take a step forward.
The famous quarter-final obstacle was fatal to the Tricolores at the 2023 World Cup, with a penalty shootout defeat against Australia, and especially at the Olympic Games, with an inglorious elimination against Brazil. There was indeed a Nations League final, but the Blues had been outclassed in Seville by Spain.
A terrible fall in the Fifa rankings
As a result, the expected progress is far from being visible. In fact, it is rather the opposite. The verdict of the Fifa ranking is quite scathing. Les Bleues were fifth in the world hierarchy in March 2023, when Hervé Renard arrived. They rose to second place last June, their best ranking ever.
But after the Games, it’s a tumble. France recorded the biggest drop in the Fifa ranking update, published this Friday, with more than 91 points lost. Les Bleues went from second… to tenth place, behind North Korea. Their worst ranking, now.
The United States, Olympic champions, take back the lead. Spain slips to third place, also being overtaken by England.
The fall of the Blues in the Fifa rankings:
