Football at the Summer Olympics
Football at the Summer Olympics, also referred to as the Olympic Football Tournament,[note 1] has been included in every Summer Olympic Games as a men's competition sport, except 1896 (the inaugural Games) and 1932 (in an attempt to promote the new FIFA World Cup tournament). Women's football was added to the official program at the Atlanta 1996 Games.[1]
| Football at the Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| IOC Discipline Code | FBL |
| Governing body | FIFA |
| Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) |
| Games | |
| Tournaments (men・women) | |
In order to avoid competition with the World Cup, FIFA have restricted participation of elite players in the men's tournament in various ways: currently, squads for the men's tournament are required to be composed of players under 23 years of age, with three permitted exceptions.
By comparison, the women's football tournament is a full senior-level international tournament, second in prestige only to the FIFA Women's World Cup.[2][3]
History Edit
Pre-World Cup era Edit
Beginnings Edit
Football was not included in the program at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, as international football was in its infancy at the time. However, sources claim that an unofficial football tournament was organised during the first competition, with participating teams including Athens and Smyrna (Izmir), then part of the Ottoman Empire.[4] According to Bill Mallon's research, this is an error which has been perpetuated in multiple texts.[5]
Tournaments were played at the 1900 and 1904 games and the Intercalated Games of 1906, but these were contested by various clubs and scratch teams.[4] Although the IOC considers the 1900 and 1904 tournaments to be official Olympic events, they are not recognised by FIFA, and neither recognises the Intercalated Games today. In 1906 teams from Great Britain, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and France withdrew from an unofficial competition and left Denmark, Smyrna (one Armenian, two Frenchmen and eight Britons), Athens and Thessaloniki to compete. Denmark won the final against Athens 9–0.
British successes Edit
In the London Games of 1908 a proper international tournament was organised by the Football Association, featuring just six teams. The number of teams rose to eleven in 1912, when the competition was organised by the Swedish Football Association. Many of these early matches were unbalanced, as evidenced by high scoring games; two players, Sophus Nielsen in 1908 and Gottfried Fuchs in 1912, each scored ten goals in a single match. All players were amateurs, in accordance with the Olympic rules, which meant that countries could not send their full senior national teams. The National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Ireland asked the Football Association to send an English national amateur team. Some of the English members played with professional clubs, most notably Derby County's Ivan Sharpe, Bradford City F.C. Harold Walden and Chelsea's Vivian Woodward. England won the first two official tournaments convincingly, beating Denmark both times.
1920s and the rise of Uruguay Edit
During the 1920 final against Belgium, the Czechoslovakia national football team walked off the field to protest the refereeing of John Lewis[6] and the militarised mood within the stadium in Antwerp. This would be the final all-European football competition at the Olympic games, with Egypt, the United States, and Uruguay participating in 1924.[6] With teams from new regions the quality of play increased, as did fan interest.[6] Uruguay dominated the tournament, winning their four games by a combined score of 15-1: the final was a 3–0 victory over Switzerland.[6] In 1928, football was the most popular event at the games[7] and the final was an all-South American affair. Because no other major international tournament existed yet, Uruguay defeated Argentina 2–1 in what David Goldblatt says was "football's first world championship".[8] After these tournaments, FIFA realized that the Olympic movement prevented nations from competing on an equal footing and, given that the Olympics only permitted amateurs to participate, did not represent the true strength of the international game. The popularity of international soccer gave FIFA the incentive to create an international tournament, and FIFA began organising the World Cup.[7]
After the first World Cup Edit
Tumultuous '30s Edit
Following Jules Rimet's proposal in 1929 to initiate a professional World Championship of Football, the sport was dropped from the 1932 Los Angeles Games by FIFA in an attempt to promote the new tournament. Football returned to controversy at the 1936 Berlin Games. The German organisers were intent on the return of the game to the Olympic movement since it guaranteed income into the organisation's coffers. The Italian team intimidated a referee. Peru scored a contested victory over Austria in overtime, with a fan invasion of the field at the very end. The Austrian team asked for the result to be annulled, and the game repeated. FIFA agreed, but the Peruvian team refused and left the Olympics.[9][10]
Soviet Bloc dominance amid amateurism controversy Edit
As professionalism spread around the world, the gap in quality between the World Cup and the Olympics widened. The countries that benefited most were the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe, where top athletes were state-sponsored while retaining their status as amateurs. As a result, young Western amateurs had to face seasoned and veteran Soviet Bloc teams, which put them at a significant disadvantage. All Olympic football tournaments from 1948 to 1980 were dominated by the Soviet Union and its satellites.[11] Between 1948 and 1980, 23 out of 28 Olympic medals were won by Eastern Europe, with only Sweden (gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952), Denmark (bronze in 1948 and silver in 1960) and Japan (bronze in 1968) breaking their dominance. The next two tournaments saw some changes due to FIFA's changing of the call-up rules, with only Yugoslavia (bronze in 1984) and the Soviet Union (gold in 1988) winning medals for the Eastern Bloc.
Changes and developments Edit
For the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the IOC decided to admit professional players, however, FIFA still did not want the Olympics to rival the World Cup.
A compromise was struck that allowed teams from countries outside of UEFA and CONMEBOL to field their strongest sides, while restricting UEFA and CONMEBOL (the strongest confederations whose teams had played all finals and won every single World Cup title) countries to players who had not played in a World Cup.
The 1984 rules were maintained also for the 1988 edition, but with an additional rider: any European and South American footballers who had previously played less than 90 minutes in one single match of the World Cup, were eligible.[12]
1992–present: Age restrictions introduced Edit
Since 1992, male competitors have been required to be under 23 years old, and since 1996, a maximum of three over-23-year-old players have been allowed per squad.[note 2] African countries have taken particular advantage of this, with Nigeria and Cameroon winning in 1996 and 2000 respectively.
Because of the unusual format and the separation from the main national teams that play the World Cup and top continental tournaments, historically strong men's national teams have unimpressive Olympic records. Uruguay, who won the two tournaments prior to the World Cup's creation, only qualified again in 2012, after an 84-year absence. Argentina won silver twice (1928 and 1996) before the 2004 tournament, but its appearance in Athens 2004, in which it won the first gold medal, was only their seventh overall. Brazil's silver medals in the 1984, 1988 and 2012 editions were the best they had achieved until 2016's gold. Italy has only won the Olympic title once, in 1936, although along with the two bronzes, the team has the highest number of appearances in the tournament, with 15, the last in 2008. France won the Olympic title in 1984, but only qualified twice ever since. A team from Germany won the gold medal only once, in 1976 (East Germany), and the reunified team did not make an Olympic appearance until 2016, when they won silver. Spain has won gold as hosts in 1992, and followed it with two silver medals (in 2000 and 2020, having also won a third in 1920), along with a few failures to qualify.
British non-involvement Edit
Football in the United Kingdom has no single governing body, and there are separate teams for the UK's four Home Nations: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Further to this, only the English Football Association (FA) is affiliated to the British Olympic Association (BOA), and the FA entered "Great Britain" teams to the football tournaments until 1972.
In 1974, the FA abolished the distinction between "amateur" and "professional" football, and ceased to enter the Olympics. Even though FIFA has allowed professionals at the Olympics since 1984, the FA did not re-enter, as the Home Nations were concerned that a united British Olympic team would set a precedent that might cause FIFA to question their separate status in other FIFA competitions, and even their status on and/or the existence of the International Football Association Board.[14][15]
When London was selected to host the 2012 Games, there was pressure on the English FA to exercise the host nation's automatic right to field a team.[16] In 2009 the plan agreed by the FA with the Welsh FA, Scottish FA and Irish FA was only to field English players;[17] however the BOA overruled this,[18] and ultimately there were Welsh players in the men's squad and Scots players in the women's squad.[19] After the 2012 games, the FA decided that no team would be entered in subsequent men's tournaments, but was open to fielding a women's team again. The distinction recognised the importance and status of Olympic football in the women's international game.[20]
For the 2020 tournament, FIFA stated that the women's UK team (not applied to the men's UK team) may enter the Olympics after the four FAs agreed, depending on the performance of women's English team in 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup (which serves as the European qualification for the Olympics). This brought women's football under the BOA jurisdiction in line with the long-standing qualification rules in Field hockey and Rugby sevens, although the home nation's sevens teams were subsumed into a standing Great Britain team in 2022[21][22]
Venues Edit
Due to the number of large stadia required for the Olympic tournament, venues in distant cities – often more than 200 km (120 mi) away from the main host – are typically used for the football tournament. In an extreme example, two early-round venues for the 1984 Games were on the East Coast of the United States, well over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the host city of Los Angeles. The next Games held in the United States, the 1996 Games, were unique in that no matches were held in the host city of Atlanta; the nearest venue and the site of the finals was 65 miles (105 km) away on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Counting the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, there are 127 venues that have hosted Olympic football, the most of any sport.
Events Edit
Competition format Edit
For both the men's and women's tournaments, the competition consists of a round-robin group stage followed by a knockout stage. Teams are placed into groups of 4 teams, with each team playing each other team in its group once. Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The top two teams in each group (as well as the top two third-place finishers, in the women's tournament) advance to the knockout rounds. The knockout rounds are a single-elimination tournament consisting of quarterfinals, semifinals, and the gold and bronze medal matches.
Matches consist of two halves of 45 minutes each. Since 2004, during the knockout rounds, if the match is tied after 90 minutes, two 15-minute halves of extra time are played (extra time is skipped in favour of immediate penalty kicks in the bronze medal match if it is played on the same day in the same stadium as the gold medal match). If the score remains tied, penalty kicks, which is 5 rounds, plus extra rounds if tied, are used to determine the winner.[23]
The qualifying tournament, like that for the World Cup, is organised along continental lines. Most continental confederations organise a special Under-23 qualifying tournament, although the European qualifiers are drawn from the finalists of the UEFA Under-21 Championship. Teams participating in the preliminary and final competitions must be composed of U-23 players, with up to three players who are at least 23. For Paris 2024, U-23 players were born after 1 January 2001.[24]
For the 2024 Games, the number of places allocated to each continent is:
- Europe – 4 (includes host France)
- Asia – 3 or 4
- Africa – 3 or 4
- South America – 2
- North America – 2
- Oceania – 1
Team variants Edit
Men Edit
- 1900–1904: Club teams
- 1908–1964: National teams
- 1968–1980: National amateur teams
- 1984–1988: National teams (with UEFA/CONMEBOL restrictions)
- 1992: National U23 team
- 1996–present: National U23 team (with three overage players)
Women Edit
- 1996–present: National team
Men's tournament Edit
| Organising body | IOC FIFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1900[25] |
| Region | International |
| Number of teams | 16 (finals) (from 6 confederations) |
| Current champions | Brazil (2nd title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Great Britain Hungary (3 titles each) |
| 2024 Summer Olympics | |
Participating nations Edit
Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games. Host nation is shown in bold.
| UEFA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | – | 2 | 11 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | |
| Belarus | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Belgium | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | 15 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | 5 | |
| Bulgaria | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | – | – | 17 | 3 | 5 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | |
| Czech Republic | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Czechoslovakia | – | – | – | – | 9 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | – | – | 1 | WD | – | Split into Slovakia and Czech Republic | 5 | |||||||||
| Denmark | – | – | 2 | 2 | 10 | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | – | 2 | – | – | 6 | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | 9 | |
| East Germany[26] | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | WD | – | – | 3 | – | 3 | 1 | 2 | WD | – | Merged into West Germany (FRG) | 4 | |||||||||
| Estonia | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Finland | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | 9 | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | |
| France | 2 | – | 5 | – | 4 | 5 | 9 | – | 5 | 17 | – | 9 | – | 7 | – | 5 | – | 1 | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | Q | 14 | |
| Germany[27] | – | – | – | 7 | – | – | 5 | 5 | – | 4 | 9 | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | 5 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | – | 10 | |
| Great Britain | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 11 | – | – | 5 | 4 | 17 | 5 | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | 10 | |
| Greece | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Hungary | – | – | – | 5 | – | 13 | – | 9 | – | 1 | WD | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | |
| Ireland | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | |
| Israel | Competed with Asia (qualified 2 times) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Italy | – | – | – | 8 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | – | 4 | DSQ | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 5 | – | – | – | – | 15 | |
| Latvia | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Lithuania | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Luxembourg | – | – | – | – | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | |
| Netherlands | – | – | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | – | 9 | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – | – | – | – | 8 | |
| Norway | – | – | – | 9 | 7 | – | – | 3 | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | |
| Poland | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | 4 | – | 9 | – | 10 | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | |
| Portugal | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | 14 | – | – | 6 | – | – | 4 | |
| Romania | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | – | 4 | |
| Russia | – | – | – | 10 | – | As the Soviet Union | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Serbia | – | – | – | – | Part of Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro | 12 | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Serbia and Montenegro | – | – | – | – | Part of Yugoslavia | – | – | – | 16 | Split into 2 nations | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Slovakia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Soviet Union | As the Russian Empire | – | – | – | – | 9 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 3 | 3 | WD | 1 | – | Split into 15 nations, with Russia as successor | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Spain | – | – | – | – | 2 | 17 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | 12 | 10 | – | – | 1 | 6 | 2 | – | – | 14 | – | 2 | Q | 12 | |
| Sweden | – | – | 4 | 11 | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | 1 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | 10 | |
| Switzerland | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Turkey | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | WD | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | |
| Ukraine | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 1 | |
| Yugoslavia | – | – | – | – | 9 | 17 | 9 | – | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | 10 | – | Split into 5, later 6 nations | 11 | ||||||||
| CONMEBOL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | |
| Argentina | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 7 | 10 | – | – | – | WD | – | 8 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 11 | 10 | 9 | ||
| Brazil | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 4 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| Chile | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | ||
| Colombia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | 11 | – | 11 | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | ||
| Paraguay | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 | ||
| Peru | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | 11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | ||
| Uruguay | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | WD | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | – | – | 3 | ||
| Venezuela | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| CONCACAF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | |
| Canada | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Costa Rica | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | 13 | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Cuba | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | |
| Dominican Republic | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Q | 1 | |
| El Salvador | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Guatemala | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | 10 | – | – | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Honduras | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | 16 | 7 | 4 | 14 | – | 5 | |
| Mexico | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | – | 11 | – | – | – | 11 | 4 | 7 | 9 | – | – | DSQ | 10 | 7 | – | 10 | – | 1 | 9 | 3 | – | 12 | |
| Netherlands Antilles | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Split into 2 nations | 1 | ||||
| United States | – | 2[28] | 3 | – | – | – | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 17 | 5 | – | – | – | 14 | – | WD | 9 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 4 | – | 9 | – | – | – | Q | 15 |
| CAF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | |
| Algeria | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | 2 | |
| Cameroon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Egypt | – | – | – | – | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 9 | WD | 12 | 4 | – | – | – | WD | 8 | – | 12 | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | 8 | Q | 13 | |
| Gabon | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Ghana | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | 12 | 16 | WD | WD | – | – | 3 | 8 | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | |
| Guinea | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Ivory Coast | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | 7 | – | 2 | |
| Mali | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | Q | 2 | |
| Morocco | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | WD | 8 | – | – | 12 | – | 15 | – | 16 | 10 | – | 11 | – | – | Q | 8 | |
| Nigeria | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | WD | 13 | – | 15 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – | – | 7 | |
| Senegal | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | – | 1 | |
| South Africa | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | – | – | – | 13 | 16 | – | 3 | |
| Sudan | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Tunisia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | 14 | – | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | |
| Zambia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | WD | 15 | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | |
| AFC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | |
| Afghanistan | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Australia | Competed with Oceania (qualified 6 times) | 11 | – | – | 12 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| China | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | 11 | – | WD | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | 13 | – | – | – | 4 | ||
| Chinese Taipei | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| India | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 17 | 4 | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | |
| Indonesia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Iran | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | – | 12 | 7 | WD | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| Iraq | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 14 | 9 | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | 12 | – | 5 | ||
| Israel | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | Competed with Europe (qualified 1 time) | 2 | |||||||||||
| Japan | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | 9 | – | 8 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | 6 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 11 | ||
| Kuwait | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | 16 | – | 12 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | ||
| Malaysia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | – | WD | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||
| Myanmar | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| North Korea | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | WD | – | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Qatar | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | ||
| Saudi Arabia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | – | 15 | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | 3 | ||
| South Korea | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 | ||
| Syria | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Thailand | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | – | – | 16 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | ||
| United Arab Emirates | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15 | – | – | 1 | ||
| OFC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | |
| Australia | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 7 | AFC (qualified 2 times) | 6 | |||||
| Fiji | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | – | 1 | |
| New Zealand | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 14 | 16 | – | 6 | Q | 4 | |
| Total nations | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 25 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | ||
Results Edit
- Rules
- 1896–1904: club teams[29][30][31][32]
- 1908–1980: amateur national teams[n 1][n 2]
- 1984–1988: professional national teams (except UEFA and CONMEBOL)[33]
- 1992: u-23 national teams [32][33]
- 1996–present: u-23 national teams (with three 'no age limit' players allowed, after an agreement between FIFA and IOC)[32][33]
- Keys
- Contested by club teams instead of proper national squads
- Playoff match after the final ended in a tie
- Notes
- ^ The 1924 and 1928 editions were co-organised by FIFA.[31][33]
- ^ Countries from Eastern Europe competed with professional players.[33]
- ^ This tournament was part of the unofficial programme, or a demonstration sport, during the 1896 Olympic Games
- ^ Combined team of players from Københavns Roklub and Østerbros Boldklub.
- ^ The exact score is still unknown: various sources list from 9–0 to 15–0.
- ^ Represented by the S.C. Athinaikos Athlitikos Syllogos.
- ^ a b c Only two teams participated in the tournament.
- ^ a b This tournament was originally a pair of demonstration matches between the three teams, but has subsequently been upgraded to official status by the IOC with medals attributed to the teams based upon the match results.
- ^ Represented by the Upton Park F.C.
- ^ a b c d No final was held so it was played under a round-robin format.
- ^ Represented by the Club Français.
- ^ Represented by the University of Brussels, included one British and one Dutch player..
- ^ a b Only three teams participated in the competition.
- ^ Represented by the Galt F.C.
- ^ Represented by the Christian Brothers College.
- ^ Represented by the St. Rose Parish.
- ^ a b The 1920 final between Belgium and Czechoslovakia was abandoned in the 39th minute with Belgium leading 2–0 after Czechoslovakia walked off to protest the officiating; they were ejected from the competition, and a second tournament to determine the other medalists was held, with Spain beating the Netherlands for second place 3–1.
- ^ Bronze medal shared.
Performances by countries Edit
Below are the 41 nations that have reached at least the semi-final stage in the Summer Olympics finals.
| Team | Gold medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | Fourth place | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 3 (1952, 1964, 1968) | 1 (1972) | 1 (1960) | 5 | |
| Great Britain | 3 (1900, 1908, 1912) | 1 (1948) | 3 | ||
| Brazil | 2 (2016, 2020) | 3 (1984, 1988, 2012) | 2 (1996, 2008) | 1 (1976) | 7 |
| Argentina | 2 (2004, 2008) | 2 (1928, 1996) | 4 | ||
| Soviet Union | 2 (1956, 1988) | 3 (1972, 1976, 1980) | 5 | ||
| Uruguay | 2 (1924, 1928) | 2 | |||
| Yugoslavia | 1 (1960) | 3 (1948, 1952, 1956) | 1 (1984) | 1 (1980) | 5 |
| Spain | 1 (1992) | 3 (1920, 2000, 2020) | 4 | ||
| Poland | 1 (1972) | 2 (1976, 1992) | 1 (1936) | 3 | |
| East Germany | 1 (1976) | 1 (1980) | 1 (1972) | 3 | |
| Nigeria | 1 (1996) | 1 (2008) | 1 (2016) | 3 | |
| Czechoslovakia | 1 (1980) | 1 (1964) | 2 | ||
| France | 1 (1984) | 1 (1900) | 2 | ||
| Italy | 1 (1936) | 2 (1928, 2004) | 4 (1920, 1960, 1984, 1988) | 3 | |
| Sweden | 1 (1948) | 2 (1924, 1952) | 1 (1908) | 3 | |
| Mexico | 1 (2012) | 1 (2020) | 1 (1968) | 2 | |
| Belgium | 1 (1920) | 1 (1900) | 1 (2008) | 2 | |
| Canada | 1 (1904) | 1 | |||
| Cameroon | 1 (2000) | 1 | |||
| Denmark | 3 (1908, 1912, 1960) | 1 (1948) | 4 | ||
| United States | 1 (1904) | 1 (1904) | 1 (2000) | 2 | |
| Bulgaria | 1 (1968) | 1 (1956) | 2 | ||
| Germany | 1 (2016) | 1 (1952) | 1 | ||
| Switzerland | 1 (1924) | 1 | |||
| Austria | 1 (1936) | 1 | |||
| Paraguay | 1 (2004) | 1 | |||
| Netherlands | 3 (1908, 1912, 1920) | 1 (1924) | 3 | ||
| Japan | 1 (1968) | 2 (2012, 2020) | 1 | ||
| Norway | 1 (1936) | 1 | |||
| United Team of Germany | 1 (1964) | 1 | |||
| West Germany | 1 (1988) | 1 | |||
| Ghana | 1 (1992) | 1 | |||
| Chile | 1 (2000) | 1 | |||
| South Korea | 1 (2012) | 1 | |||
| Egypt | 2 (1928, 1964) | 0 | |||
| Finland | 1 (1912) | 0 | |||
| India | 1 (1956) | 0 | |||
| Australia | 1 (1992) | 0 | |||
| Portugal | 1 (1996) | 0 | |||
| Iraq | 1 (2004) | 0 | |||
| Honduras | 1 (2016) | 0 |
Women's tournament Edit
| Organising body | IOC FIFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Region | International |
| Number of teams | 12 (finals) (from 6 confederations) |
| Current champions | Canada (1st title) |
| Most successful team(s) | United States (4 titles) |
| 2024 Summer Olympics | |
The women's tournament is contested between the full senior national teams, with no restrictions. One place is reserved for the host country. Of the remaining teams, as in World Cup contests a specific number of places are reserved for teams from each continental region; the European (UEFA) teams until 2020 are chosen from the most successful European teams in the previous year's World Cup; the UEFA Women's Nations League which its Finals is held in the same year as the Olympics will be used from 2024, while the other continental regions host their own qualifying tournaments in the build-up to the Olympics.
The first women's tournament was at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The United States won the gold medal. Norway defeated the U.S. in 2000 by a golden goal that was highly controversial and seemed like a handball, but was allowed to stand.[34] The finals of the next two tournaments, in 2004 and 2008, also went to extra time, with the U.S. defeating Brazil both times. In 2012 the U.S. won their fourth gold medal defeating Japan 2–1 in the final. In 2016 Germany won its first gold, defeating in the final Sweden, who upset in the succession the U.S. and hosts Brazil. In 2020, Canada won gold on penalties over Sweden, having previously also beaten Brazil and the U.S.
Allocation of places for each continent in the 2024 Games is:
- Europe – 3 (includes host France)
- Africa – 2
- Asia – 2
- South America – 2
- North America – 2
- Oceania – 1
Participating nations Edit
Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games. Host nation is shown in bold.
| UEFA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| France | – | – | – | – | 4 | 6 | – | Q | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | – | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Great Britain | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | – | – | 10 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | 3 | 1 | – | 7 | – | – | – | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| CONMEBOL | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Argentina | – | – | – | 11 | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 6 | Q | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Chile | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Colombia | – | – | – | – | 11 | 11 | – | Q | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CONCACAF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada | – | – | – | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Q | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mexico | – | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Q | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CAF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cameroon | – | – | – | – | 12 | – | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Nigeria | – | 8 | 6 | 11 | – | – | – | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| South Africa | – | – | – | – | 10 | 10 | – | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Zambia | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Zimbabwe | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| AFC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia | OFC (q. 2 t.) | – | – | 7 | 4 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| China | 2 | 5 | 9 | 5 | – | 8 | 10 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan | 7 | – | 7 | 4 | 2 | – | 8 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| North Korea | – | – | – | 9 | 9 | – | – | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| OFC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | Years | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia | – | 7 | 5 | AFC (qualified 2 times) | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Zealand | – | – | – | 10 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total nations | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Results Edit
- Keys
- a.e.t. – after extra time
- a.s.d.e.t. – after sudden death extra time
| Ed. | Year | Hosts | Gold medal match | Bronze medal match | Num. teams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold medalists | Score | Silver medalists | Bronze medalists | Score | Fourth place | ||||
1 | 1996 | Atlanta | United States | 2–1 | China | Norway | 2–0 | Brazil | 8 |
2 | 2000 | Sydney | Norway | 3–2 (a.s.d.e.t.) | United States | Germany | 2–0 | Brazil | 8 |
3 | 2004 | Athens | United States | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Brazil | Germany | 1–0 | Sweden | 10 |
4 | 2008 | Beijing | United States | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Brazil | Germany | 2–0 | Japan | 12 |
5 | 2012 | London | United States | 2–1 | Japan | Canada | 1–0 | France | 12 |
6 | 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | Germany | Sweden | Canada | 2–1 | Brazil | 12 | |
7 | 2020 | Tokyo | Canada | Sweden | United States | 4–3 | Australia | 12 | |
8 | 2024 | Paris | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |||
Performances by countries Edit
Below are the ten nations that have reached at least the semi-final stage in the Summer Olympics finals.
| Team | Gold medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | Fourth place | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4 (1996, 2004, 2008, 2012) | 1 (2000) | 1 (2020) | 6 | |
| Germany | 1 (2016) | 3 (2000, 2004, 2008) | 4 | ||
| Canada | 1 (2020) | 2 (2012, 2016) | 3 | ||
| Norway | 1 (2000) | 1 (1996) | 2 | ||
| Brazil | 2 (2004, 2008) | 3 (1996, 2000, 2016) | 2 | ||
| Sweden | 2 (2016, 2020) | 1 (2004) | 2 | ||
| Japan | 1 (2012) | 1 (2008) | 1 | ||
| China | 1 (1996) | 1 | |||
| Australia | 1 (2020) | 0 | |||
| France | 1 (2012) | 0 |
Overall medal table Edit
- Total medals won (men's and women's) including 1900 and 1904
- Bronze medals shared in 1972 tournament
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States (USA) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 2 | Hungary (HUN) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 | Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Brazil (BRA) | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 5 | Argentina (ARG) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | Soviet Union (URS) | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 | Canada (CAN) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | Uruguay (URU) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Yugoslavia (YUG) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Spain (ESP) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Sweden (SWE) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 12 | Poland (POL) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 | football, summer, olympics, this, article, about, history, association, football, also, known, soccer, olympics, gridiron, football, american, football, summer, olympics, australian, rules, football, demonstration, australian, football, 1956, summer, olympics,. This article is about the history of association football also known as soccer at the Olympics For gridiron football see American football at the Summer Olympics For the Australian rules football demonstration see Australian football at the 1956 Summer Olympics Football at the Summer Olympics also referred to as the Olympic Football Tournament note 1 has been included in every Summer Olympic Games as a men s competition sport except 1896 the inaugural Games and 1932 in an attempt to promote the new FIFA World Cup tournament Women s football was added to the official program at the Atlanta 1996 Games 1 Football at the Summer OlympicsIOC Discipline CodeFBLGoverning bodyFIFAEvents2 men 1 women 1 Games1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 19201924 1928 1932 1936 1948 19521956 1960 1964 1968 1972 19761980 1984 1988 1992 1996 20002004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024MedalistsTournaments men women In order to avoid competition with the World Cup FIFA have restricted participation of elite players in the men s tournament in various ways currently squads for the men s tournament are required to be composed of players under 23 years of age with three permitted exceptions By comparison the women s football tournament is a full senior level international tournament second in prestige only to the FIFA Women s World Cup 2 3 Contents 1 History 1 1 Pre World Cup era 1 1 1 Beginnings 1 1 2 British successes 1 1 3 1920s and the rise of Uruguay 1 2 After the first World Cup 1 2 1 Tumultuous 30s 1 2 2 Soviet Bloc dominance amid amateurism controversy 1 2 3 Changes and developments 1 2 4 1992 present Age restrictions introduced 1 3 British non involvement 2 Venues 3 Events 4 Competition format 5 Team variants 5 1 Men 5 2 Women 6 Men s tournament 6 1 Participating nations 6 2 Results 6 3 Performances by countries 7 Women s tournament 7 1 Participating nations 7 2 Results 7 3 Performances by countries 8 Overall medal table 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Works cited 13 External linksHistory EditPre World Cup era Edit Beginnings Edit Football was not included in the program at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as international football was in its infancy at the time However sources claim that an unofficial football tournament was organised during the first competition with participating teams including Athens and Smyrna Izmir then part of the Ottoman Empire 4 According to Bill Mallon s research this is an error which has been perpetuated in multiple texts 5 Tournaments were played at the 1900 and 1904 games and the Intercalated Games of 1906 but these were contested by various clubs and scratch teams 4 Although the IOC considers the 1900 and 1904 tournaments to be official Olympic events they are not recognised by FIFA and neither recognises the Intercalated Games today In 1906 teams from Great Britain Germany Austria the Netherlands and France withdrew from an unofficial competition and left Denmark Smyrna one Armenian two Frenchmen and eight Britons Athens and Thessaloniki to compete Denmark won the final against Athens 9 0 British successes Edit In the London Games of 1908 a proper international tournament was organised by the Football Association featuring just six teams The number of teams rose to eleven in 1912 when the competition was organised by the Swedish Football Association Many of these early matches were unbalanced as evidenced by high scoring games two players Sophus Nielsen in 1908 and Gottfried Fuchs in 1912 each scored ten goals in a single match All players were amateurs in accordance with the Olympic rules which meant that countries could not send their full senior national teams The National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Ireland asked the Football Association to send an English national amateur team Some of the English members played with professional clubs most notably Derby County s Ivan Sharpe Bradford City F C Harold Walden and Chelsea s Vivian Woodward England won the first two official tournaments convincingly beating Denmark both times 1920s and the rise of Uruguay Edit nbsp The Uruguay national football team that won the 1928 Olympic tournamentDuring the 1920 final against Belgium the Czechoslovakia national football team walked off the field to protest the refereeing of John Lewis 6 and the militarised mood within the stadium in Antwerp This would be the final all European football competition at the Olympic games with Egypt the United States and Uruguay participating in 1924 6 With teams from new regions the quality of play increased as did fan interest 6 Uruguay dominated the tournament winning their four games by a combined score of 15 1 the final was a 3 0 victory over Switzerland 6 In 1928 football was the most popular event at the games 7 and the final was an all South American affair Because no other major international tournament existed yet Uruguay defeated Argentina 2 1 in what David Goldblatt says was football s first world championship 8 After these tournaments FIFA realized that the Olympic movement prevented nations from competing on an equal footing and given that the Olympics only permitted amateurs to participate did not represent the true strength of the international game The popularity of international soccer gave FIFA the incentive to create an international tournament and FIFA began organising the World Cup 7 After the first World Cup Edit Tumultuous 30s Edit Following Jules Rimet s proposal in 1929 to initiate a professional World Championship of Football the sport was dropped from the 1932 Los Angeles Games by FIFA in an attempt to promote the new tournament Football returned to controversy at the 1936 Berlin Games The German organisers were intent on the return of the game to the Olympic movement since it guaranteed income into the organisation s coffers The Italian team intimidated a referee Peru scored a contested victory over Austria in overtime with a fan invasion of the field at the very end The Austrian team asked for the result to be annulled and the game repeated FIFA agreed but the Peruvian team refused and left the Olympics 9 10 Soviet Bloc dominance amid amateurism controversy Edit As professionalism spread around the world the gap in quality between the World Cup and the Olympics widened The countries that benefited most were the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe where top athletes were state sponsored while retaining their status as amateurs As a result young Western amateurs had to face seasoned and veteran Soviet Bloc teams which put them at a significant disadvantage All Olympic football tournaments from 1948 to 1980 were dominated by the Soviet Union and its satellites 11 Between 1948 and 1980 23 out of 28 Olympic medals were won by Eastern Europe with only Sweden gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952 Denmark bronze in 1948 and silver in 1960 and Japan bronze in 1968 breaking their dominance The next two tournaments saw some changes due to FIFA s changing of the call up rules with only Yugoslavia bronze in 1984 and the Soviet Union gold in 1988 winning medals for the Eastern Bloc Changes and developments Edit For the 1984 Los Angeles Games the IOC decided to admit professional players however FIFA still did not want the Olympics to rival the World Cup A compromise was struck that allowed teams from countries outside of UEFA and CONMEBOL to field their strongest sides while restricting UEFA and CONMEBOL the strongest confederations whose teams had played all finals and won every single World Cup title countries to players who had not played in a World Cup The 1984 rules were maintained also for the 1988 edition but with an additional rider any European and South American footballers who had previously played less than 90 minutes in one single match of the World Cup were eligible 12 1992 present Age restrictions introduced Edit Since 1992 male competitors have been required to be under 23 years old and since 1996 a maximum of three over 23 year old players have been allowed per squad note 2 African countries have taken particular advantage of this with Nigeria and Cameroon winning in 1996 and 2000 respectively Because of the unusual format and the separation from the main national teams that play the World Cup and top continental tournaments historically strong men s national teams have unimpressive Olympic records Uruguay who won the two tournaments prior to the World Cup s creation only qualified again in 2012 after an 84 year absence Argentina won silver twice 1928 and 1996 before the 2004 tournament but its appearance in Athens 2004 in which it won the first gold medal was only their seventh overall Brazil s silver medals in the 1984 1988 and 2012 editions were the best they had achieved until 2016 s gold Italy has only won the Olympic title once in 1936 although along with the two bronzes the team has the highest number of appearances in the tournament with 15 the last in 2008 France won the Olympic title in 1984 but only qualified twice ever since A team from Germany won the gold medal only once in 1976 East Germany and the reunified team did not make an Olympic appearance until 2016 when they won silver Spain has won gold as hosts in 1992 and followed it with two silver medals in 2000 and 2020 having also won a third in 1920 along with a few failures to qualify British non involvement Edit Main articles Great Britain men s Olympic football team and Great Britain women s Olympic football team Football in the United Kingdom has no single governing body and there are separate teams for the UK s four Home Nations England Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales Further to this only the English Football Association FA is affiliated to the British Olympic Association BOA and the FA entered Great Britain teams to the football tournaments until 1972 In 1974 the FA abolished the distinction between amateur and professional football and ceased to enter the Olympics Even though FIFA has allowed professionals at the Olympics since 1984 the FA did not re enter as the Home Nations were concerned that a united British Olympic team would set a precedent that might cause FIFA to question their separate status in other FIFA competitions and even their status on and or the existence of the International Football Association Board 14 15 When London was selected to host the 2012 Games there was pressure on the English FA to exercise the host nation s automatic right to field a team 16 In 2009 the plan agreed by the FA with the Welsh FA Scottish FA and Irish FA was only to field English players 17 however the BOA overruled this 18 and ultimately there were Welsh players in the men s squad and Scots players in the women s squad 19 After the 2012 games the FA decided that no team would be entered in subsequent men s tournaments but was open to fielding a women s team again The distinction recognised the importance and status of Olympic football in the women s international game 20 For the 2020 tournament FIFA stated that the women s UK team not applied to the men s UK team may enter the Olympics after the four FAs agreed depending on the performance of women s English team in 2019 FIFA Women s World Cup which serves as the European qualification for the Olympics This brought women s football under the BOA jurisdiction in line with the long standing qualification rules in Field hockey and Rugby sevens although the home nation s sevens teams were subsumed into a standing Great Britain team in 2022 21 22 Venues EditMain article List of Olympic venues in football Due to the number of large stadia required for the Olympic tournament venues in distant cities often more than 200 km 120 mi away from the main host are typically used for the football tournament In an extreme example two early round venues for the 1984 Games were on the East Coast of the United States well over 2 000 miles 3 200 km from the host city of Los Angeles The next Games held in the United States the 1996 Games were unique in that no matches were held in the host city of Atlanta the nearest venue and the site of the finals was 65 miles 105 km away on the University of Georgia campus in Athens Counting the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics there are 127 venues that have hosted Olympic football the most of any sport Edition of the Olympic Games City Stadium nbsp Athens 1896 No official football tournament nbsp Paris 1900 Paris Vincennes Velodrome nbsp St Louis 1904 St Louis Francis Field nbsp London 1908 London White City Stadium nbsp Stockholm 1912 Stockholm Stockholm Olympic StadiumRasunda StadiumTranebergs Idrottsplats nbsp Antwerp 1920 Antwerp Olympic StadiumStadion BroodstraatBrussels Stade de l Union St GilloiseGhent Stade d A A La Gantoise nbsp Paris 1924 Paris Stade Olympique ColombesStade BergeyreStade de Paris Saint OuenStade Pershing Vincennes nbsp Amsterdam 1928 Amsterdam Olympisch StadionHarry Elte Stadium nbsp Los Angeles 1932 No football tournament nbsp Berlin 1936 Berlin OlympiastadionPoststadion TiergartenMommsenstadion CharlottenburgHertha BSC Platz nbsp London 1948 London Empire Stadium WembleyWhite Hart Lane TottenhamSelhurst Park Crystal PalaceCraven Cottage FulhamGriffin Park BrentfordArsenal Stadium HighburyLynn Road IlfordGreen Pond Road WalthamstowChampion Hill DulwichBrighton Goldstone GroundPortsmouth Fratton Park nbsp Helsinki 1952 Helsinki OlympiastadionToolo Football GroundsTurku Kupittaa StadiumTampere Ratina StadiumLahti KisapuistoKotka Kotka Stadium nbsp Melbourne 1956 Melbourne Melbourne Cricket GroundOlympic Park Stadium nbsp Rome 1960 Rome Flaminio StadiumFlorence Stadio ComunaleGrosseto Stadio ComunaleLivorno Stadio ArdenzaPescara Stadio AdriaticoL Aquila Stadio ComunaleNaples Stadio Fuorigrotta nbsp Tokyo 1964 Tokyo National Olympic StadiumPrince Chichibu Memorial FieldKomazawa StadiumŌmiya Omiya Soccer StadiumYokohama Mitsuzawa Football Stadium nbsp Mexico City 1968 Mexico City Azteca StadiumPuebla Estadio CuauhtemocGuadalajara Estadio JaliscoLeon Estadio Leon nbsp Munich 1972 Munich OlympiastadionAugsburg RosenaustadionIngolstadt ESV StadionRegensburg Jahn StadiumNuremberg Stadtisches StadiumPassau Drei Flusse Stadion nbsp Montreal 1976 Montreal Olympic StadiumSherbrooke Municipal StadiumToronto Varsity StadiumOttawa Lansdowne Stadium nbsp Moscow 1980 Moscow Grand Central Lenin StadiumDynamo StadiumLeningrad Kirov StadiumKyiv Republican StadiumMinsk Dinamo Stadium nbsp Los Angeles 1984 Pasadena California Rose BowlBoston Harvard StadiumAnnapolis Maryland Navy Marine Corps Memorial StadiumStanford California Stanford Stadium nbsp Seoul 1988 Seoul Olympic StadiumDongdaemun StadiumBusan Busan StadiumDaegu Daegu StadiumDaejeon Daejeon StadiumGwangju Gwangju Stadium nbsp Barcelona 1992 Barcelona Camp NouEstadi de SarriaSabadell Estadi de la Nova Creu AltaZaragoza Estadio La RomaredaValencia Estadio Luis Casanova nbsp Atlanta 1996 Athens Georgia Sanford StadiumOrlando Florida Citrus BowlBirmingham Alabama Legion FieldMiami Florida Miami Orange BowlWashington D C Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium nbsp Sydney 2000 Sydney Olympic StadiumSydney Football StadiumBrisbane Brisbane Cricket GroundAdelaide Hindmarsh StadiumCanberra Bruce StadiumMelbourne Melbourne Cricket Ground nbsp Athens 2004 Marousi Olympic StadiumPiraeus Karaiskakis StadiumPatras Pampeloponnisiako StadiumVolos Panthessaliko StadiumThessaloniki Kaftanzoglio StadiumHeraklion Pankritio Stadium nbsp Beijing 2008 Beijing National StadiumWorkers StadiumTianjin Tianjin Olympic Center StadiumShanghai Shanghai StadiumQinhuangdao Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center StadiumShenyang Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium nbsp London 2012 London Wembley StadiumGlasgow Hampden ParkCardiff Millennium StadiumCoventry City of Coventry Stadium note 3 Manchester Old TraffordNewcastle upon Tyne St James Park note 3 nbsp Rio 2016 Rio de Janeiro MaracanaJoao Havelange Olympic StadiumSao Paulo Arena CorinthiansBrasilia Estadio Nacional Mane GarrinchaSalvador Arena Fonte Nova note 4 Belo Horizonte Estadio MineiraoManaus Arena da Amazonia nbsp Tokyo 2020Tokyo Tokyo Stadium note 5 Yokohama International Stadium Yokohama note 5 Kashima Kashima Soccer StadiumSaitama Saitama Stadium 2002Rifu Miyagi StadiumSapporo Sapporo DomeEvents EditEvent 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 YearsMen s event X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28Women s event X X X X X X X X 8Total 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2Competition format EditFor both the men s and women s tournaments the competition consists of a round robin group stage followed by a knockout stage Teams are placed into groups of 4 teams with each team playing each other team in its group once Teams earn 3 points for a win 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss The top two teams in each group as well as the top two third place finishers in the women s tournament advance to the knockout rounds The knockout rounds are a single elimination tournament consisting of quarterfinals semifinals and the gold and bronze medal matches Matches consist of two halves of 45 minutes each Since 2004 during the knockout rounds if the match is tied after 90 minutes two 15 minute halves of extra time are played extra time is skipped in favour of immediate penalty kicks in the bronze medal match if it is played on the same day in the same stadium as the gold medal match If the score remains tied penalty kicks which is 5 rounds plus extra rounds if tied are used to determine the winner 23 The qualifying tournament like that for the World Cup is organised along continental lines Most continental confederations organise a special Under 23 qualifying tournament although the European qualifiers are drawn from the finalists of the UEFA Under 21 Championship Teams participating in the preliminary and final competitions must be composed of U 23 players with up to three players who are at least 23 For Paris 2024 U 23 players were born after 1 January 2001 24 For the 2024 Games the number of places allocated to each continent is Europe 4 includes host France Asia 3 or 4 Africa 3 or 4 South America 2 North America 2 Oceania 1Team variants EditMen Edit 1900 1904 Club teams 1908 1964 National teams 1968 1980 National amateur teams 1984 1988 National teams with UEFA CONMEBOL restrictions 1992 National U23 team 1996 present National U23 team with three overage players Women Edit 1996 present National teamMen s tournament EditMen s Olympic football tournamentOrganising bodyIOCFIFAFounded1900 25 RegionInternationalNumber of teams16 finals from 6 confederations Current champions nbsp Brazil 2nd title Most successful team s nbsp Great Britain nbsp Hungary 3 titles each nbsp 2024 Summer OlympicsParticipating nations Edit Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games Host nation is shown in bold UEFANation 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Austria 6 2 11 5 4 nbsp Belarus 10 1 nbsp Belgium 3 1 15 5 4 5 nbsp Bulgaria 10 17 3 5 2 5 nbsp Czech Republic 14 1 nbsp Czechoslovakia 9 9 2 9 1 WD Split into Slovakia and Czech Republic 5 nbsp Denmark 2 2 10 3 5 2 6 13 8 9 nbsp East Germany 26 WD 3 3 1 2 WD Merged into West Germany FRG 4 nbsp Estonia 17 1 nbsp Finland 4 9 14 9 4 nbsp France 2 5 4 5 9 5 17 9 7 5 1 5 13 Q 14 nbsp Germany 27 7 5 5 4 9 5 5 3 2 9 10 nbsp Great Britain 1 1 1 11 5 4 17 5 8 5 10 nbsp Greece 13 17 15 3 nbsp Hungary 5 13 9 1 WD 3 1 1 2 16 9 nbsp Ireland 7 17 2 nbsp Israel Competed with Asia qualified 2 times Q 1 nbsp Italy 8 5 6 3 1 5 9 4 DSQ 4 4 5 12 5 3 5 15 nbsp Latvia 16 1 nbsp Lithuania 17 1 nbsp Luxembourg 12 11 9 9 9 9 6 nbsp Netherlands 3 3 3 4 9 9 17 7 8 nbsp Norway 9 7 3 14 10 5 nbsp Poland 17 4 9 10 1 2 2 7 nbsp Portugal 5 4 14 6 4 nbsp Romania 14 17 5 11 4 nbsp Russia 10 As the Soviet Union 1 nbsp Serbia Part of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro 12 1 nbsp Serbia and Montenegro Part of Yugoslavia 16 Split into 2 nations 1 nbsp Slovakia 13 1 nbsp Soviet Union As the Russian Empire 9 1 3 3 3 WD 1 Split into 15 nations with Russia as successor 6 nbsp Spain 2 17 5 6 12 10 1 6 2 14 2 Q 12 nbsp Sweden 4 11 6 3 9 1 3 6 6 15 10 nbsp Switzerland 2 9 13 3 nbsp Turkey 17 9 9 5 5 WD 14 6 nbsp Ukraine Q 1 nbsp Yugoslavia 9 17 9 2 2 2 1 6 4 3 10 Split into 5 later 6 nations 11CONMEBOLNation 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Argentina 2 7 10 WD 8 2 1 1 11 10 9 nbsp Brazil 5 6 9 13 13 4 2 2 3 7 3 2 1 1 14 nbsp Chile 17 17 7 3 4 nbsp Colombia 10 11 11 14 6 5 nbsp Paraguay 7 2 2 nbsp Peru 5 11 2 nbsp Uruguay 1 1 WD 9 3 nbsp Venezuela 12 1CONCACAFNation 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Canada 1 13 6 3 nbsp Costa Rica 16 13 8 3 nbsp Cuba 11 7 2 nbsp Dominican Republic Q 1 nbsp El Salvador 15 1 nbsp Guatemala 8 10 16 3 nbsp Honduras 10 16 7 4 14 5 nbsp Mexico 9 11 11 4 7 9 DSQ 10 7 10 1 9 3 12 nbsp Netherlands Antilles 14 Split into 2 nations 1 nbsp United States 2 28 3 12 9 9 11 17 5 14 WD 9 12 9 10 4 9 Q 15CAFNation 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Algeria 8 14 2 nbsp Cameroon 11 1 8 3 nbsp Egypt 8 8 4 9 11 9 WD 12 4 WD 8 12 8 8 Q 13 nbsp Gabon 12 1 nbsp Ghana 7 12 16 WD WD 3 8 9 6 nbsp Guinea 11 1 nbsp Ivory Coast 6 7 2 nbsp Mali 5 Q 2 nbsp Morocco 13 WD 8 12 15 16 10 11 Q 8 nbsp Nigeria 14 WD 13 15 1 8 2 3 7 nbsp Senegal 6 1 nbsp South Africa 11 13 16 3 nbsp Sudan 15 1 nbsp Tunisia 15 13 14 12 4 nbsp Zambia WD 15 5 2AFCNation 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Afghanistan 17 1 nbsp Australia Competed with Oceania qualified 6 times 11 12 2 nbsp China 9 11 WD 14 13 4 nbsp Chinese Taipei 16 1 nbsp India 11 17 4 13 4 nbsp Indonesia 5 1 nbsp Iran 12 12 7 WD 3 nbsp Iraq 5 14 9 4 12 5 nbsp Israel 5 6 Competed with Europe qualified 1 time 2 nbsp Japan 5 9 8 3 9 6 13 15 4 10 4 11 nbsp Kuwait 6 16 12 3 nbsp Malaysia 10 WD 1 nbsp Myanmar 9 1 nbsp North Korea WD 8 1 nbsp Qatar 15 8 2 nbsp Saudi Arabia 16 15 15 3 nbsp South Korea 5 14 11 11 11 9 6 10 3 5 5 11 nbsp Syria 14 1 nbsp Thailand 9 16 2 nbsp United Arab Emirates 15 1OFCNation 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Australia 5 7 4 13 15 7 AFC qualified 2 times 6 nbsp Fiji 16 1 nbsp New Zealand 14 16 6 Q 4Total nations 3 2 5 11 14 22 17 16 18 25 11 16 14 16 16 13 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16Results Edit Main article Men s Olympic football tournament records and statistics Rules1896 1904 club teams 29 30 31 32 1908 1980 amateur national teams n 1 n 2 1984 1988 professional national teams except UEFA and CONMEBOL 33 1992 u 23 national teams 32 33 1996 present u 23 national teams with three no age limit players allowed after an agreement between FIFA and IOC 32 33 Keys Contested by club teams instead of proper national squads Playoff match after the final ended in a tieEd Year Hosts Gold medal match Bronze medal match Num teams nbsp Gold medalists Score nbsp Silver medalists nbsp Bronze medalists Score Fourth place n 3 1896 Athens nbsp Denmark n 4 unknown n 5 nbsp Greece n 6 n 7 n 7 n 7 21 n 8 1900 Paris nbsp Great Britain n 9 n 10 nbsp France n 11 nbsp Mixed team ZZX n 12 n 10 n 13 32 n 8 1904 St Louis nbsp Canada n 14 n 10 nbsp United States n 15 nbsp United States n 16 n 10 n 13 33 1908 London nbsp Great Britain 2 0 nbsp Denmark nbsp Netherlands 2 0 nbsp Sweden 64 1912 Stockholm nbsp Great Britain 4 2 nbsp Denmark nbsp Netherlands 9 0 nbsp Finland 115 1920 Antwerp nbsp Belgium n 17 nbsp Spain nbsp Netherlands n 17 nbsp Italy 146 1924 Paris nbsp Uruguay 3 0 nbsp Switzerland nbsp Sweden 1 1 a e t nbsp Netherlands 223 17 1928 Amsterdam nbsp Uruguay 1 1 a e t nbsp Argentina nbsp Italy 11 3 nbsp Egypt 172 1 1932 Los Angeles No tournament held 8 1936 Berlin nbsp Italy 2 1 a e t nbsp Austria nbsp Norway 3 2 nbsp Poland 169 1948 London nbsp Sweden 3 1 nbsp Yugoslavia nbsp Denmark 5 3 nbsp Great Britain 1810 1952 Helsinki nbsp Hungary 2 0 nbsp Yugoslavia nbsp Sweden 2 0 nbsp Germany 2511 1956 Melbourne nbsp Soviet Union 1 0 nbsp Yugoslavia nbsp Bulgaria 3 0 nbsp India 1112 1960 Rome nbsp Yugoslavia 3 1 nbsp Denmark nbsp Hungary 2 1 nbsp Italy 1613 1964 Tokyo nbsp Hungary 2 1 nbsp Czechoslovakia nbsp United Team of Germany EUA 3 1 nbsp United Arab Republic 1414 1968 Mexico City nbsp Hungary 4 1 nbsp Bulgaria nbsp Japan 2 0 nbsp Mexico 1615 1972 Munich nbsp Poland 2 1 nbsp Hungary nbsp East Germany nbsp Soviet Union 2 2 a e t n 18 1616 1976 Montreal nbsp East Germany 3 1 nbsp Poland nbsp Soviet Union 2 0 nbsp Brazil 1317 1980 Moscow nbsp Czechoslovakia 1 0 nbsp East Germany nbsp Soviet Union 2 0 nbsp Yugoslavia 1618 1984 Los Angeles nbsp France 2 0 nbsp Brazil nbsp Yugoslavia 2 1 nbsp Italy 1619 1988 Seoul nbsp Soviet Union 2 1 a e t nbsp Brazil nbsp Germany 27 3 0 nbsp Italy 1620 1992 Barcelona nbsp Spain 3 2 nbsp Poland nbsp Ghana 1 0 nbsp Australia 1621 1996 Atlanta nbsp Nigeria 3 2 nbsp Argentina nbsp Brazil 5 0 nbsp Portugal 1622 2000 Sydney nbsp Cameroon 2 2 5 3 p nbsp Spain nbsp Chile 2 0 nbsp United States 1623 2004 Athens nbsp Argentina 1 0 nbsp Paraguay nbsp Italy 1 0 nbsp Iraq 1624 2008 Beijing nbsp Argentina 1 0 nbsp Nigeria nbsp Brazil 3 0 nbsp Belgium 1625 2012 London nbsp Mexico 2 1 nbsp Brazil nbsp South Korea 2 0 nbsp Japan 1626 2016 Rio de Janeiro nbsp Brazil 1 1 5 4 p nbsp Germany nbsp Nigeria 3 2 nbsp Honduras 1627 2020 Tokyo nbsp Brazil 2 1 a e t nbsp Spain nbsp Mexico 3 1 nbsp Japan 1628 2024 Paris TBD TBD TBD TBDNotes The 1924 and 1928 editions were co organised by FIFA 31 33 Countries from Eastern Europe competed with professional players 33 This tournament was part of the unofficial programme or a demonstration sport during the 1896 Olympic Games Combined team of players from Kobenhavns Roklub and Osterbros Boldklub The exact score is still unknown various sources list from 9 0 to 15 0 Represented by the S C Athinaikos Athlitikos Syllogos a b c Only two teams participated in the tournament a b This tournament was originally a pair of demonstration matches between the three teams but has subsequently been upgraded to official status by the IOC with medals attributed to the teams based upon the match results Represented by the Upton Park F C a b c d No final was held so it was played under a round robin format Represented by the Club Francais Represented by the University of Brussels included one British and one Dutch player a b Only three teams participated in the competition Represented by the Galt F C Represented by the Christian Brothers College Represented by the St Rose Parish a b The 1920 final between Belgium and Czechoslovakia was abandoned in the 39th minute with Belgium leading 2 0 after Czechoslovakia walked off to protest the officiating they were ejected from the competition and a second tournament to determine the other medalists was held with Spain beating the Netherlands for second place 3 1 Bronze medal shared Performances by countries Edit Below are the 41 nations that have reached at least the semi final stage in the Summer Olympics finals Team Gold medals Silver medals Bronze medals Fourth place Medals nbsp Hungary 3 1952 1964 1968 1 1972 1 1960 5 nbsp Great Britain 3 1900 1908 1912 1 1948 3 nbsp Brazil 2 2016 2020 3 1984 1988 2012 2 1996 2008 1 1976 7 nbsp Argentina 2 2004 2008 2 1928 1996 4 nbsp Soviet Union 2 1956 1988 3 1972 1976 1980 5 nbsp Uruguay 2 1924 1928 2 nbsp Yugoslavia 1 1960 3 1948 1952 1956 1 1984 1 1980 5 nbsp Spain 1 1992 3 1920 2000 2020 4 nbsp Poland 1 1972 2 1976 1992 1 1936 3 nbsp East Germany 1 1976 1 1980 1 1972 3 nbsp Nigeria 1 1996 1 2008 1 2016 3 nbsp Czechoslovakia 1 1980 1 1964 2 nbsp France 1 1984 1 1900 2 nbsp Italy 1 1936 2 1928 2004 4 1920 1960 1984 1988 3 nbsp Sweden 1 1948 2 1924 1952 1 1908 3 nbsp Mexico 1 2012 1 2020 1 1968 2 nbsp Belgium 1 1920 1 1900 1 2008 2 nbsp Canada 1 1904 1 nbsp Cameroon 1 2000 1 nbsp Denmark 3 1908 1912 1960 1 1948 4 nbsp United States 1 1904 1 1904 1 2000 2 nbsp Bulgaria 1 1968 1 1956 2 nbsp Germany 1 2016 1 1952 1 nbsp Switzerland 1 1924 1 nbsp Austria 1 1936 1 nbsp Paraguay 1 2004 1 nbsp Netherlands 3 1908 1912 1920 1 1924 3 nbsp Japan 1 1968 2 2012 2020 1 nbsp Norway 1 1936 1 nbsp United Team of Germany 1 1964 1 nbsp West Germany 1 1988 1 nbsp Ghana 1 1992 1 nbsp Chile 1 2000 1 nbsp South Korea 1 2012 1 nbsp Egypt 2 1928 1964 0 nbsp Finland 1 1912 0 nbsp India 1 1956 0 nbsp Australia 1 1992 0 nbsp Portugal 1 1996 0 nbsp Iraq 1 2004 0 nbsp Honduras 1 2016 0Women s tournament EditWomen s Olympic football tournamentOrganising bodyIOCFIFAFounded1996RegionInternationalNumber of teams12 finals from 6 confederations Current champions nbsp Canada 1st title Most successful team s nbsp United States 4 titles nbsp 2024 Summer OlympicsThe women s tournament is contested between the full senior national teams with no restrictions One place is reserved for the host country Of the remaining teams as in World Cup contests a specific number of places are reserved for teams from each continental region the European UEFA teams until 2020 are chosen from the most successful European teams in the previous year s World Cup the UEFA Women s Nations League which its Finals is held in the same year as the Olympics will be used from 2024 while the other continental regions host their own qualifying tournaments in the build up to the Olympics The first women s tournament was at the 1996 Atlanta Games The United States won the gold medal Norway defeated the U S in 2000 by a golden goal that was highly controversial and seemed like a handball but was allowed to stand 34 The finals of the next two tournaments in 2004 and 2008 also went to extra time with the U S defeating Brazil both times In 2012 the U S won their fourth gold medal defeating Japan 2 1 in the final In 2016 Germany won its first gold defeating in the final Sweden who upset in the succession the U S and hosts Brazil In 2020 Canada won gold on penalties over Sweden having previously also beaten Brazil and the U S Allocation of places for each continent in the 2024 Games is Europe 3 includes host France Africa 2 Asia 2 South America 2 North America 2 Oceania 1Participating nations Edit Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games Host nation is shown in bold UEFANation 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Denmark 8 1 nbsp France 4 6 Q 3 nbsp Germany 5 3 3 3 1 5 nbsp Great Britain 5 7 2 nbsp Greece 10 1 nbsp Netherlands 5 1 nbsp Norway 3 1 7 3 nbsp Sweden 6 6 4 6 7 2 2 7CONMEBOLNation 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Argentina 11 1 nbsp Brazil 4 4 2 2 6 4 6 Q 8 nbsp Chile 11 1 nbsp Colombia 11 11 Q 3CONCACAFNation 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Canada 8 3 3 1 Q 5 nbsp Mexico 8 1 nbsp United States 1 2 1 1 1 5 3 Q 8CAFNation 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Cameroon 12 1 nbsp Nigeria 8 6 11 3 nbsp South Africa 10 10 2 nbsp Zambia 9 1 nbsp Zimbabwe 12 1AFCNation 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Australia OFC q 2 t 7 4 2 nbsp China 2 5 9 5 8 10 6 nbsp Japan 7 7 4 2 8 5 nbsp North Korea 9 9 2OFCNation 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years nbsp Australia 7 5 AFC qualified 2 times 2 nbsp New Zealand 10 8 9 12 4Total nations 8 8 10 12 12 12 12 12Results Edit Main article Women s Olympic football tournament records and statistics Keysa e t after extra time a s d e t after sudden death extra timeEd Year Hosts Gold medal match Bronze medal match Num teams nbsp Gold medalists Score nbsp Silver medalists nbsp Bronze medalists Score Fourth place1 1996 Atlanta nbsp United States 2 1 nbsp China nbsp Norway 2 0 nbsp Brazil 82 2000 Sydney nbsp Norway 3 2 a s d e t nbsp United States nbsp Germany 2 0 nbsp Brazil 83 2004 Athens nbsp United States 2 1 a e t nbsp Brazil nbsp Germany 1 0 nbsp Sweden 104 2008 Beijing nbsp United States 1 0 a e t nbsp Brazil nbsp Germany 2 0 nbsp Japan 125 2012 London nbsp United States 2 1 nbsp Japan nbsp Canada 1 0 nbsp France 126 2016 Rio de Janeiro nbsp Germany 2 1 nbsp Sweden nbsp Canada 2 1 nbsp Brazil 127 2020 Tokyo nbsp Canada 1 1 3 2 p nbsp Sweden nbsp United States 4 3 nbsp Australia 128 2024 Paris TBD TBD TBD TBDPerformances by countries Edit Below are the ten nations that have reached at least the semi final stage in the Summer Olympics finals Team Gold medals Silver medals Bronze medals Fourth place Medals nbsp United States 4 1996 2004 2008 2012 1 2000 1 2020 6 nbsp Germany 1 2016 3 2000 2004 2008 4 nbsp Canada 1 2020 2 2012 2016 3 nbsp Norway 1 2000 1 1996 2 nbsp Brazil 2 2004 2008 3 1996 2000 2016 2 nbsp Sweden 2 2016 2020 1 2004 2 nbsp Japan 1 2012 1 2008 1 nbsp China 1 1996 1 nbsp Australia 1 2020 0 nbsp France 1 2012 0Overall medal table EditTotal medals won men s and women s including 1900 and 1904 Bronze medals shared in 1972 tournamentRankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal1 nbsp United States USA 42282 nbsp Hungary HUN 31153 nbsp Great Britain GBR 30034 nbsp Brazil BRA 25295 nbsp Argentina ARG 22046 nbsp Soviet Union URS 20357 nbsp Canada CAN 20248 nbsp Uruguay URU 20029 nbsp Yugoslavia YUG 131510 nbsp Spain ESP 130411 nbsp Sweden SWE 122512 nbsp Poland POL 120313 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. |