France women lose to Italy but stay second at Euro 2026

France’s women remain second in Euro 2026 Group D despite suffering their first defeat of the tournament against Italy. They will face hosts Sweden in their final group match on Thursday at 19:00, with their position important for securing a more favourable round-of-16 tie.

Italy won 3-1 in Gothenburg, taking the match 25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 25-19. The result ended France’s run without a lost set, but the French team recovered from the opening setback to level the contest. Italy, led by Paola Egonu’s 20 points, controlled the closing stages without completely taking the match away from their opponents.

France were also forced to cope with the early departure of Halimatou Bah, who injured her right ankle during the first set. The outside hitter left the court in a wheelchair, and her tournament could be over. Despite that setback, France continued to challenge the reigning Olympic and world champions and stayed competitive through the remaining sets.

Amélie Rotar said the team had no regrets after giving everything in the match. She described the performance as France’s strongest against Italy and said the players drew additional motivation from Bah’s injury. France now need to protect second place against Sweden before the knockout phase begins.