February 24, (THEWILL) – France’s Women’s World Cup campaign has been dealt a major blow with the announcement that captain, Wendie Renard, will skip the tournament.
Renard cited her unhappiness with the team’s set-up and the need to “protect her mental health”, as the reasons behind her decision. She is considered one of France’s greatest women’s footballers, having played 142 international matches and won multiple league titles and Champions League trophies with Lyon.
Renard’s decision was followed by similar announcements from striker, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and forward, Kadidiatou Diani, who also said they were putting their international careers on hold. While Renard did not retire from international football, she said that she no longer felt able to play for the national team due to the current system being “far away from the demands required at the highest level.”
The France squad has been plagued by tensions between the players and coach Corinne Diacre for several years. In 2021, Diacre stripped Renard of the captain’s armband before giving it back to her later that year. Katoto and Diani both expressed the need for significant changes before they would consider returning to the national side.
As THEWILL previously reported, the Women’s World Cup will be held from July 20 to August 20 and it will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
