Eight of the world’s strongest blind football nations to compete for a Paralympic podium finish in front of the prestigious Eiffel Tower. 

The Eiffel Tower Stadium on the Champs de Mars,
with a blind football pitch in the centre and 13,000 seats surrounding the pitch from east to west.
The 330 metres tall Eiffel Tower is positioned north behind the stadium.

The men’s blind football event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games takes place at the Eiffel Tower Stadium, at the foot of the iconic landmark, from Sunday 1^st September to Saturday 7^th September. The competition features eight of the best nations in blind football and is set to feature some of the world’s greatest male players in front of a 13,000 sell-out crowd.

Paralympic men’s blind football squads must consist of eight outfield players who are totally blind (B1 classification) and two goalkeepers who are fully sighted or partially sighted (B2 or B3 classification).

Here are the key things you need to know about men’s blind football at Paris 2024, contenders for podium finishes, the big names to look out for, the competition’s dark horse and how to watch the action.

https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games/schedule/blind-football?day=1-september
https://blindfootball.sport/

Paris 2024 Men’s Blind Football Draw: Debutant Colombia face Japan in Opening Game

The eight national teams that secured Paralympic blind football qualification are separated into two groups of four. Each team plays against the other teams in their group once, with the top two in both groups subsequently advancing to the knockout rounds.

Debutant Colombia is up against Japan in the first game of the competition on 1 September, at 11:30am CEST time, after both nations were drawn in Group B. The team’s last encounter was in this year’s IBSA Blind Football Grand Prix Semi-Final, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Colombia. The match will take place four days after the Paralympic Games opening ceremony.

Defending Paralympic champions Brazil is in Group A, the group of death, alongside hosts and European champions France, whilst World and Americas champions Argentina is in Group B with African champions Morocco.

Group A: France, China, Brazil, Turkiye

Group B: Japan, Colombia, Morocco, Argentina

Brazil’s Quest for Sixth Paralympic Blind Football Gold Medal

Brazil have claimed gold and remain invincible across every blind football competition at the Paralympic Games since the sport’s debut in Athens 2004. In doing so, they have conquered Argentina twice in Tokyo 2020 and Athens 2004, Iran on home turf in Rio 2016, France in London 2012, China in Beijing 2008. The Tokyo 2020 blind football final saw a stunning individual goal from Raimundo Nonato Mendes to attain Brazil’s fifth gold medal. However, they have slipped down the podium in three major tournaments since Tokyo 2020, and have more rivals than just their old foes Argentina to fend off for gold at Paris 2024.

Three Roadblocks on the Road to Gold for Brazil  

A sixth Paralympic blind football gold medal for Brazil at Paris 2024 is far from a straightforward path. Argentina and China, both presently holding the championship title in their respective continents, have recently derailed Brazil from claiming gold in three major tournaments leading up to Paris 2024.

In the semi-finals of the 2024 IBSA Blind Football World Grand Prix and the 2023 IBSA Blind Football World Championships, China overcame Brazil on penalties 2-1 and 2-0 to advance to the final, leaving Brazil to finish third in both tournaments.

Argentina, the world’s number one-ranked nation in blind football, also beat Brazil 2-0 on penalties in the final of the 2022 Copa America to clinch the title from their old rivals on home soil in Córdoba. ‘Los Murcielagos’ (The Bats) will be looking to meet their South American rivals at the Paralympic Games for the third time and claim gold.

Morocco almost prevented Brazil from reaching the gold medal final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic blind football competition. The five-time African champions duelled with Brazil in the semi-final and held a goalless draw, until they conceded an own goal in the 28^th minute which handed Brazil a spot in the final. They defeated China in the third-place play-off to win a historic Paralympic blind football bronze medal.

To claim gold for the sixth consecutive time, Brazil will need to be extremely careful of their Group A counterparts China, and encountering Argentina or Morocco in the knockout stage. Let’s also not forget the dark horse of the competition.

Debutant Colombia enter as Dark Horse Podium Hopefuls

Colombia is the only nation making their Paralympic blind football debut at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and will be confident of a podium finish after their recent performances. At the 2022 Copa America, Colombia beat Chile 2-0 to claim their fourth bronze medal in the competition. At the Birmingham 2023 World Championships, they fell short of a podium finish after losing to Brazil 7-1 in the bronze medal match.

However, they recovered in style by winning their first ever World Grand Prix earlier this year in Schiltigheim, France. Jhon Gonzalez will be a pivotal member of Colombia’s pursuit of a Paralympic medal in blind football at Paris 2024. The forward, also known as the ‘Radamel Falcao of blind football’, earned his nation the Grand Prix title in Schiltigheim with a left foot strike with less than three minutes to claim a hard-fought 1-0 feat. He has a strong sense for goal, having received the top goal scorer award jointly at the 2024 World Grand Prix, 2024 World Championships and 2022 Copa America, as well as individually at the 2019 World Grand Prix.

There are several other blind football players who will also intend to dazzle in the city of lights.

Men’s Blind Football Stars to Shine at Paris 2024 Paralympics

Brazil can count on four players who won their fifth blind football gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games: Raimundo Nonato Mendes, Ricardo Alves and Jeferson Goncalves.

Hosts France will be led by captain Frederic Villeroux, a veteran in blind football who led his nation to European gold in 2022 and 2009, as well as silver in 2019. He also captained the team who won Paralympic silver in London 2012.

Arguably the favourites to overcome Brazil, is Argentina. Their robust team includes stalwart defender Froilan Padilla, talisman Maximiliano Espinillo and shot-stopping goalkeeper German Muleck. The trio will look to make history by winning Argentina’s very-first Paralympic blind football gold at Paris 2024.

Morocco will be aiming for a second blind football podium finish at Paris 2024 with some of the most prolific strikers in the game. Zouhair Snisla netted four past China to land Morocco a historic blind football bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 and finish top goal scorer with eight goals. His strike partner, Abderrazak Hattab, bagged six goals at the 2022 African Championships, including a brace in the final against Mali to retain the title in Bouznika.

Japan’s Ryo Kawamura, Turkiye’s Emre Aslan and China’s Zhu Ruiming are also worth mentioning.

By Keon Richardson / For IBSA