Football is about to resume, just after a month of resting following the Euro and Copa 2024. We will continue to witness exciting developments from the men’s football tournament at the 2024 Olympics. With teams like Spain, France, and Argentina participating, the matches promise to be thrilling. Additionally, many young talents from the U23 age group, whom we are familiar with from European domestic leagues, will also be featured. In just under 24 hours, the tournament will kick off. Here’s everything you need to know before the opening ceremony.
To bring football home, winning the Olympic gold medal is also a good choice for England. However, this year, as in many previous editions, the English team has been inexplicably absent. The last time the English men’s team competed in the Olympics was in 2012, where they only reached the quarter-finals. In Tokyo 2020, England only had a women’s team participating. So, what exactly has caused the UK to consistently miss out on the men’s football tournament at the Olympics?
To understand why the UK does not participate in the Olympic men’s football, we need to consider the history of Olympic participation, the structure of sports management in the UK, and the challenges in forming a unified team. The last time the UK had a men’s football team at the Olympics was in London 2012. The team then included some English stars like Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs but had no players from Scotland or Northern Ireland. The team reached the quarter-finals. This was also the first time the UK had a men’s team at the Olympics since 1960. However, since then, the UK men’s football team has not participated in subsequent Olympics.
In FIFA tournaments, each country within the UK—England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland—has its own team. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) views the UK as a single entity, unlike FIFA. This has led to controversies and concerns among the football associations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, fearing that participating in a unified team could jeopardize their independence. The only compromise reached was for the 2012 Olympics, as the event was hosted in England, but it still attracted considerable controversy, particularly from Scotland. Since then, no UK men’s football team has participated in the Olympics.
The creation and management of a unified UK team face several challenges, from choosing players and coaches to aligning tactics and playing styles. The differences in football management and culture among the associations of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are significant barriers. Each country has agreed that the highest-ranked nation among them will secure one of the three available spots for European teams if they qualify. However, England, which is the highest-ranked, failed to qualify while France, Spain, and Germany secured the spots.
The absence of the UK men’s team from the 2024 Olympic football tournament results from complex factors including historical, political, and sports management issues. Despite numerous efforts and proposals to form a unified team, concerns about losing independence and practical challenges have prevented this from happening. This situation not only reflects the uniqueness of football in the UK but also emphasizes the importance of identity and tradition in sports.
In the last five Olympics, South American football has been dominant, with five gold medals all going to this continent. The gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics also went to Brazil. However, it is a significant disappointment that Brazil will not participate in this tournament. The Brazilian generation currently boasts many talented players that many top European clubs covet. Brazil has officially become the former Olympic champion after failing to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This news has shocked and disappointed fans, as Brazil is also the holder of two gold medals from the last two Olympic Games. The reason for this failure is the lack of serious preparation in the qualification stage.
In the qualifiers, Brazil initially performed excellently by topping Group A with three wins and one loss from four matches, which advanced them to the playoff stage for the Paris Olympics along with Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela. Brazil and Argentina were seen as the top contenders. However, the reality did not reflect this expectation. In their opening match, Brazil lost 1-0 to Paraguay in a game where they were outplayed by their opponents. Despite having more possession, Brazil created very few chances. Throughout 90 minutes, Andrik and his teammates managed only five shots, with only one on target, while Paraguay created 19 attempts on goal. Paraguay scored the only goal through Piero Hincapié at the end of the first half.
The loss in the opening match was not a total disaster for Brazil as there were still two more matches. They managed to win 2-1 against Venezuela, with Argentina drawing 3-3 against Paraguay. This allowed Brazil to move up to second place, which was enough to secure their place in the Olympics. In the decisive match against Argentina, Brazil only needed a draw to advance. However, Argentina was determined not to miss out on the Olympics and pressed hard for a goal. The Argentine team’s determination was evident in their control of the ball and the number of shots they took. Their efforts paid off with a goal from Luciano Gutiérrez. Brazil was unable to recover in the remaining time, and Argentina’s solid defense kept them from equalizing. Thus, after three matches, Paraguay and Argentina topped the group with 7 and 6 points respectively, and will represent South America at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Brazil’s complacency led to their failure to qualify, and they will have to watch the Olympics on TV.
The presence of U23 players at the 2024 Olympics will be a great opportunity for clubs and fans to discover new young talents. It will also be a chance for these young players to prove their abilities, including Julian Alvarez, a well-known name from club and national team football, who will also be competing in this tournament. As with any tournament, people pay attention to famous football stars who might shine, and the 2024 Paris Olympics are no exception.
The host team, France, is certainly one of the main contenders for the gold medal. Under coach Thierry Henry, the French team is a strong candidate, with Alexandre Lacazette being a notable name. Lacazette, who plays for Lyon, had an impressive season with 22 goals and five assists. Although he did not participate in Euro 2024, he has been included in the Olympic squad. Another key player is Michael Olise of Bayern Munich, known for his speed and skill. His former Crystal Palace teammate, Jean-Philippe Mateta, also promises to be a strong forward, having scored 19 goals in 35 matches last season.
Argentina is also a contender for the gold medal, although their squad does not have many names as prominent as those who won the Copa America. The most notable stars are Julian Alvarez and Nicolás Otamendi. Alvarez, a Manchester City forward, played a crucial role in Argentina’s Copa victory and is expected to lead the team at this tournament. Spain is another team to watch, with Barcelona players like Fermin López and Pablo Gavi included. López was part of the Euro 2024 squad but was cut before the final, while Gavi is a significant talent in La Liga. Miguel Gutiérrez, a standout left-back for Girona, is also someone to watch. Other notable players include Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, Nabih of Guinea, Julio Enciso of Paraguay, and Benjamin Kashi of the USA. In Asia, Kaito of Japan and Abduzakhid of Uzbekistan are also worth noting. We cannot predict which lesser-known teams might surprise us, but the Olympics might reveal new talents to the football world.
In recent years, football in Asia has made significant strides, with Japan and, to some extent, South Korea closing the gap with Europe and South America. The Japanese team, in particular, has made a strong impact with notable victories. At the 2024 Olympics, will Asian teams have a chance to make an impact? We still remember the disappointment of the U23 Vietnam team failing to advance from the quarter-finals of the U23 Asian Championship. If they had won, they would have had a chance to make history by qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Asian teams, including Japan, Iraq, and Uzbekistan, have three spots at the finals. Can they create a sensation in Paris this summer?
Japan has previously achieved notable success at the Olympics, including a bronze medal at the 1968 Mexico City Games. More recently, South Korea made a significant impact at the 2012 London Olympics by winning bronze. As Japan enters the 2024 Olympics, they are the only team not using any overage players, showing confidence in their U23 squad. Japan has a history of strong performances in the Olympics, including reaching the semi-finals at Tokyo 2020 and narrowly losing to Spain in the third-place match. Iraq also had a memorable Olympics at Athens 2004, reaching the semi-finals and finishing fourth, a historic achievement for an Asian team. Uzbekistan, making their Olympic debut, has a strong youth football tradition, having reached the semi-finals in the last four U23 Asian Championships, with two runner-up finishes and one title.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Asian teams will face fierce competition from European and South American teams. However, with their past successes, Asian teams have a chance to shine if they prepare well and play with the highest level of determination. On July 24, the matches in various groups will kick off. Spain and Argentina, having recently won the Euro and Copa, are particularly noteworthy contenders. Let’s see how experts assess the chances of these teams for gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
As the tournament approaches, the men’s football competition is attracting global attention from experts and fans. According to an NBC Olympic article, this tournament promises excitement and surprises. A key highlight is the return of the U.S. Olympic team after a long absence. The U.S. has used overage players like Walker Zimmerman and Min Robinson
