With the 2024 Olympic Games taking place in Paris and surrounding areas, France's national teams have had an advantage in various arenas.
Among the most high-profile French national teams at the Olympics are the men's and women's basketball, both of whom entered the games with realistic aspirations for podium finishes.
In addition to stars like Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Marine Johannes and Gabby Williams propelling their teams, France has had the backing of its home fans, giving its teams a real home-court advantage each time they take the floor.
When watching France in action in front of its home fans, you may notice a chant from the crowd throughout the game. Here's more on what the fans are saying and why they're saying it.
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What is the French crowd chanting?
French fans attending sporting events are chanting "Allez Les Bleus!" which translates to "Go Blues!"
ALLEZ LES BLEUS ! 💙#TeamFranceBasket | #PassionnémentBleu | #Paris2024 | #FRACAN
— Équipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) August 6, 2024
As the colors of the French flag are blue, white and red, their national teams traditionally wear the color blue and are affectionately referred to as Les Bleus, or the Blues. The chant can also be heard during France's soccer matches and was proudly said during the team's run to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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The feminine version of the term, which is used for the women's national team, is "Allez Les Bleues" with an added e. When referring to both teams, "Allez Les Bleus" is the correct spelling.
Les Bleues sont arrivées au Club France 📍👋#PasssionnémentBleu | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/3cDgKa5UXR
— Équipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) August 5, 2024
In short, the Allez Les Bleus chant is a creative way for fans of France's national teams to cheer on their teams without saying "Go France" or something of the sort. It is one of the most recognizable and popular cheers across all international competitions.
At the Tokyo Games, France's women's team finished as a bronze medalist while the men's team took home silver. Three years later, they'll each look to earn even better finishes with the backing of their home fans, who will continue to cheer as loud as they can.
