Considering how they have struggled at times throughout the 2024 Summer Olympics, France entered their semifinal matchup against Germany on Thursday as underdogs. And yet, when the final buzzer sounded, Victor Wembanyama and company had picked up an upset victory to advance to the Gold Medal Game, with the score settling in at 73-69.

It wasn't Wembanyama's best game for his country (11 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 4-17 FGM), but he left it all out on the court, both literally and figuratively. Wemby was seen bleeding from his neck late in this game, and when asked about the cut he picked up during the game, he dropped an epic quote that cited France's national anthem.

Victor Wembanyama has his sights set on gold medal for France

France power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) celebrates after the game against Germany in a men's basketball semifinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

This is the second straight game where France wasn't expected to win, as they pulled off a tough victory over Canada in their quarterfinal matchup to earn the right to take on Germany. And once again, they managed to take down one of the best teams in the tournament, with a matchup against either USA or Serbia on the schedule for them next.

Given that the Olympics are taking place in Paris this year, there's been a lot of pressure on France to excel on the court. And after they struggled in the group round, they have found their form over the past two games. Now, they have a shot to win a gold medal, and it's something that Wembanyama and company are taking very seriously.

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Getting to this point was certainly difficult for Wembanyama and France, but getting over the final hump is going to prove to be their most difficult challenge yet. Considering how they will either face a loaded Team USA squad or be going up against the reigning NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic and Serbia, it's safe to say that France will likely be the underdog once again in the Gold Medal Game.

Still, with the entire country behind them, you cannot count them out, especially given that they have found a winning formula over the past two games. Wembanyama has a chance to deliver on the incredible hype surrounding him for his home country, and if he can go out and put together a nice bounce back performance the next time he takes the court, France will have a shot to take home gold.