UEFA Women's EURO 2025 - Clara Mateo exclusive: "I learned a lot from the disappointment"

On a brisk autumnal day in late October, the French women's national football team kicked off the new Olympic cycle against Jamaica.

The result was a resounding success.

A 3-0 convincing win over the Reggae Girlz showed a fierce intent, and for the newly appointed Laurent Bonadei, it was the perfect start.

Clara Mateo, selected in the number 10 shirt for Bonadei’s first XI, notably looked at ease in the role, running the front line with authority.

When the opportunity came, she opened the scoring with a low drive in the 22nd minute, clenching her fist in conquest before turning to celebrate with teammate Delphine Cascarino.

It was a moment of great pride for the striker. Just a few weeks after not being selected for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, she found herself cheered by a standing ovation. The goal proved to be an apt reward, not only for the occasion, but also for the hungry Mateo, who didn’t stop working on her international dream even after the disappointment.

“It's true that I had a very good start to the season," she told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.

“I was very happy to be back with the French team. When you're a top-level athlete, you always want to represent your country. To be able to play and score right from the start of the match, I was obviously very happy. And it also showed the work I’d done to bounce back.”

As the rest of the season unfurled, the 27-year-old was similarly productive.

She finished as the top scorer in the French league with 18 goals to her name and was voted the best player by her peers.

“It’s been a successful season. It’s also a season that rewards the work I’ve put in over the last few years,” she continued. “On an individual level, I was there in terms of statistics, and I was consistent and efficient throughout the season. And then to win a trophy with my club was a real source of pride and emotion.”

But how did she rebuild into the form of her life after missing out on the Games?

Olympics.com caught up with the Nantes native at Clairefontaine, just a few days before Les Bleues take on defending champions England at UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, to find out.

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