The torch will arrive in Marseille from Greece, the spiritual home of the Olympics, on a three-masted ship.

It will set the tone for a Games whose opening ceremony will be held on the Seine in Paris.

"In the spring of 2024, Marseille will have the honour and good fortune to be the first city to welcome the Olympic flame on French soil," organisers Paris 2024 said in a statement.

Marseille "was a natural and clear choice," said chief organiser Tony Estanguet, evoking the city's historic links with Greece.

The ancient Greek colony of Massalia was founded on the French Mediterranean coast in 600 BC.

The Paris OIympics take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.