France kick off Olympics in style with comprehensive win over USA

Under the guidance of the legendary Thierry Henry, France kicked off their Olympic journey on home turf against a resilient USA team that showcased solid defense in the early minutes, limiting the hosts to minimal scoring opportunities.

Following a quiet start, the match suddenly intensified in the 39th minute when Paxten Aaronson made a move from the right flank and took a shot at the near post, only to be thwarted by Guillaume Restes.

France also came close to scoring in the first half's added time as captain Alexandre Lacazette skillfully set up strike partner Jean-Philippe Mateta, but the Crystal Palace player's shot from outside the box narrowly missed the target.

The USA continued to frustrate their opponents after the restart, however, despite displaying superior football, they were unable to capitalize on their dominance by creating clear-cut chances.

This failure proved costly for the underdogs as France unexpectedly took the lead against the run of play.

Upon entering the game just past the hour mark, Lacazette's precise long-range shot ignited the home crowd as the captain sparked his team into action.

Although Marko Mitrovic's team quickly equalized, Restes once again thwarted Aaronson with an outstanding diving save to push his header away.

Despite Kevin Paredes causing havoc on the right wing and setting up another excellent opportunity for the USMNT to level the score, John Tolkin's close-range header was saved.

This missed chance allowed France to strike back, with Michael Olise, the new Bayern Munich signing, scoring this time.

The 22-year-old received the ball with his back to the goal at the edge of the box, turned, and skillfully curled a shot into the far corner.

Shocked by the consecutive goals, the Americans could not recover, and France sealed the victory with a late third goal from a powerful header by Loic Bade, leaving the US team struggling against a French side aiming to become the first European nation since Spain in 1992 to claim Football Gold.