Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta Join France Squad for Olympics, Arsenal and Chelsea Stars Snubbed

Big News for Football Fans:

Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta are heading to the Olympics with France’s team! This is exciting for them but a bit of a headache for their club because the Olympic football games are happening right before the Premier League starts again.

Mateta is getting a special shout-out because he’s one of the older players picked for a mostly under-23 team.

Thierry Henry, the coach for France, decided not to pick Malo Gusto and William Saliba. This is good news for their clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal, because they won’t be missing any games.

Now, about Olise – he’s 22 and hasn’t played for the big leagues yet, even though he could choose to play for France, England, Algeria, or Nigeria. He did play in the U21 Euros last summer but got hurt and was out for four months.

And guess who else is joining as an older player? Alexandre Lacazette, the former Arsenal forward. Chelsea’s new boss, Enzo Maresca, didn’t want to let Gusto or Benoit Badiashile go, but Lesley Ugochukwu is in.

Everyone was talking about Kylian Mbappe, the star heading to Real Madrid, playing in the Olympics in Paris after leading France in Euro 2024. But he’s not on the list. Thierry Henry joked that it’s been a while since he got so many “no’s” – it reminded him of middle school!

But there’s still a chance for Mbappe to join the team before July 3, when they have to finalize the list.

France is in Group A and will be playing against the United States, New Zealand, and Guinea. With 16 teams in the tournament, including big names like Argentina and Spain, France is one of the favorites to win. And it’s not just Paris hosting the games; other cities like Bordeaux, Marseille, and Nice are also throwing their doors open for matches.

So, there you have it – a quick update on the Olympic football scene and what it means for some of the players and their clubs!