All the favourites in the team sports at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games
The greatest sporting event on the planet is about to begin! Every nation will start with gold medals in mind, but who are the favourites to win in each of the major team disciplines?
Basketball
Men: USA
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards: These are more than enough reasons to name one of the most dominant Olympic teams of all time as favourites. They arrive in France with a thirst for revenge and anything less than gold will be considered a failure for Team USA.
Women: USA
It is almost impossible to pick another team. They have been champions nine times and are on a seven-game winning streak.
3x3 Basketball
Men: Serbia
Believe it or not, the United States is not the men's half-court dominator. Serbia are a major power in the sport and will try to wrest the throne from Latvia.
Women: USA
Although Spain are in good form going into Paris - they finished undefeated in the pre-Olympics - the potential of the USA is enormous. They have a team made up of WNBA players and tend to be a gear ahead of the rest.
Handball
Men: France
With three golds in the last four Olympic Games - Denmark beat them in the Rio 2016 final - France has been the dominant force in Olympic handball for the last 16 years. They have it all to do for a gold medal as they defend their crown and will be helped by Nikola Karabatic, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, in his last tournament before retiring.
Women: France
Although they have not been as dominant as the boys, they are also defending champions in front of their home fans. Their physical strength can be an important asset in demanding matches.
Football
Men: Spain
On paper, the big rivals will be France and Argentina, but Santi Denia has put together a very competitive Spain squad. With the likes of Miguel Gutierrez, Fermin Lopez, Pau Cubarsi and Alex Baena in the squad, there is plenty to be excited about.
Women: Spain
They may be under more pressure than the men's team, but Athenea del Castillo assured us they don't feel that way. They arrive at Paris 2024 as world champions and with two players (Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati) who already know what it's like to win the Ballon d'Or. Spain are the team to beat.
Field Hockey
Men: Belgium
They are the reigning Olympic champions and in recent times they have always been around the top of the world rankings. The competition will be fierce, but we think Belgium will be favourites.
Women: Netherlands
They have won gold at three of the last four Olympic Games. Although teams such as Argentina are increasingly knocking on the door, the Dutch are still looking down on the rest.
Rugby 7s
Men: Fiji
Two participations and as many golds for the Pacific Islanders. The swagger with which they won in previous editions leads us to believe that they will keep the line. They are one of the clear favourites in a strong men's field.
Women: New Zealand
If you ask anyone about rugby, New Zealand comes to mind as one of the main powers. They were second at Rio 2016 and first at Tokyo 2021. It will be difficult to knock the Black Ferns off their perch but Australia could challenge them.
Volleyball
Men: Poland
Although they haven't had much luck at the Olympics, the Poles lead the world rankings and have carried that dominance into the World Championships. It will be close, with countries such as Japan, Brazil and Italy trying to win gold, but we'll go with Poland.
Women: Brazil
If football is a religion in Brazil, volleyball is not far behind. They lost in the Tokyo 2021 final to the United States, but they are ranked second in the world and have been Olympic champions twice. You can always count on their talent.
Water polo
Men: Serbia
Although the most recent history in water polo is Croatia's World Cup victory, Serbia and Hungary have been the great powers in the sport. Given a choice of the two, we'll go with the Serbs, who have been on the top step of the podium at two Olympic Games in a row.
Women: USA
Since the women's entered the Games in Sydney 2000, the United States have always won a medal. The first gold came for the Americans at London 2012, and they have not tasted another medal since. Spain lost twice (2012 and 2021) in the final against them.