FIH Junior World Ranking: 7

How they qualified: 3rd Place – FIH Hockey Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021

Junior World Cup history: 2021 – 3rd, 2013 – 2nd, 2011 – 10th, 1985 – 8th, 1979 – 7th

With the Olympic Games Paris 2024 just around the corner, this Junior World Cup competition provides a fantastic opportunity for France’s rising stars to impress, particularly with Frederic Soyez, head coach of the senior side, along for the ride in the role of stand-in manager. Having medalled at both the Bubaneswar 2021 and New Delhi 2013 Junior World Cups, expectations are high for Les Bleus. The 2023 squad contains eight players who were part of the bronze medal-winning campaign in 2021, including Mathis Clément, Noé Jouin, Gaspard Xavier and Brieuc Delemazure, who all represented France seniors at the EuroHockey Championship 2023 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. With high quality players and a top class coaching team, France have every chance of getting amongst the medals once again.