Volleyball World Championships: The French women are gaining momentum and rediscovering a competition they haven't seen for over 50 years

The objective is to " get out of the group stage ." Les Bleues, who haven't played in the world championships for over 50 years, are heading into their first match of the 2025 World Championships (August 22 to September 7) in Thailand. Facing Puerto Rico on Friday, August 22, " we'll have to be there from the start." It's true that we often have difficulty getting into a competition, so this match will be key, it can change everything, " captain and receiver-attacker Héléna Cazaute, who has been selected for the national team since 2015, confirmed to franceinfo: sport. In the event of a defeat, nothing will be lost for the French, but they will then have to beat Greece, ranked 30th in the world, and above all compete against the Brazilians, the reigning vice-world champions, in the second match.

A task that looks difficult on paper, but Les Bleues have already shown that they are capable of giving big teams a hard time. During the 2025 Nations League - a competition where the French finished 9th out of 18 teams, with five wins and seven losses - César Hernandez's players actually took the Brazilians to a tie-break, before cracking in the final moments of the match (25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 21-25, 11-15). A few days earlier, it was against Serbia, the two-time reigning world champions, that the Tricolores put on a high-quality performance, winning after five high-intensity sets (21-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-15, 15-13). Then, against the United States, the reigning Olympic vice-champions, they almost repeated the feat, finally losing in the tie-break (22-225, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21, 13-15).

" It gives us a boost, because a few years ago, holding on to Brazil was something more or less unthinkable, so to see that we were able to take two sets in Brazil is still a source of pride ," confided Héléna Cazaute, who is still tempering things with the approach of the World Championships. " I'm still expecting a completely different match in a few days, because it's still Brazil and they may have looked down on us a little, because we've always been the team below them ." Despite a clear progression, going from 56th to 15th place in the world in eight years , the French women still lack experience at the highest world level. It must be said that the current group has so far only experienced the Paris 2024 Games as an international competition, where they finished last in their group with zero matches won, or even a set won in their first Olympic competition in history .

Despite this result, the French volleyball players did not disappoint during these home Olympics, which marked an important step in the policy of developing women's volleyball in France, which began in 2017. " The French women's team was a little stripped in terms of financial and human resources. President Eric Tanguy [in office since 2015] chose to allocate coherent resources so that the team could work ," Emmanuel Fouchet, manager of the French women's team, told franceinfo: sport. " The project automatically united this team with the opportunity to play the Olympic Games in Paris," he continues.

The federation's policy change has also allowed the players to gain confidence. " There are more girls who feel good in the team, who are confident. This is important for our development ," says Héléna Cazaute, who joined her teammates during the second week of the Nations League. " When I saw the collective level in training, I said to myself: frankly, it's interesting and there's something to be done ."

This confidence of the players also comes from " their individual development, " says Emmanuel Fouchet. " The fact that the players are exporting and playing in the biggest foreign championships allows them to realize that they are the equal of very good players." Five French volleyball players play in the leading championships - Italy and Turkey - including Héléna Cazaute, who signed with Vakifbank Istanbul, in the championship where Iman Ndiaye and Amélie Rotar also play.

"Our goal is to evolve as far as possible, and to get closer to what the boys have done, to create something little by little. They are clearly an example for us."

Héléna Cazaute, captain and receiver-attacker of the French team

on Franceinfo: sport

At just 23 years old, Iman Ndiaye has also experienced a rapid rise in the French national team. Selected for the first time during the Paris Olympics - where she scored five points in three games - the forward, who spent her youth in the United States, revealed her potential during the Nations League, finishing second in the competition's scoring, with 233 points scored in 12 games . The daughter of Bouna Ndiaye, agent of numerous basketball players including Victor Wembanyama, will therefore be expected at this World Cup, supported by her thirteen teammates, the collective being a key aspect for coach César Hernandez.

" I don't believe in teams that rely on only two or three elements. We are a team, a collective, and if we perform well, it's because everyone gives their best in training and pulls the group up, " he declared on the French volleyball teams' social networks . A collective effort that could therefore allow the relatively young blue group (25 years old on average) to perform in the long term.

The French team's calendar

Puerto Rico - France : August 22, 11 a.m. (French time) Brazil - France : August 24, 2:30 p.m. France - Greece : August 26, 11 a.m.