2024 Olympic football: Why should you care?
Looking ahead to the men's Olympic football tournament at Paris 2024, which kicks-off today
“I didn’t know that was in the Olympics!”
The phrase that should be on your Paris 2024 bingo card for watching almost anything at the Olympics with anyone you don’t consider a sport fanatic, be it handball, climbing or (for the love of God) break dancing.
But also it could well be uttered when you inevitably check the score of the bronze medal match in the football. I will then be followed by a “I don’t think they should have football! Football’s on all the time!” Oh, my sincere apologies! I’m so sorry my favourite sport is more popular than weightlifting.
It has to be said, though, that many football fans would agree. Particularly in Europe, the idea of Olympic football never exactly sets the pulses racing; it always falls immediately after the European Championship and coincides with the new domestic season. Priorities.
And that is before we get into the weird rules that apply only to the men’s tournament, not the women’s, which try to keep everyone happy but please no one.
However! In the next few minutes I will tell you exactly why you should care about the men’s football tournament, which begins today (24th July, before the opening ceremony as usual), and why you should watch the battle for gold at Paris 2024!
Stars on show
The weird rules I mentioned mostly refer to the squads for what is technically an under-23 tournament. Each of the 16 teams can select 18 players, only three of whom can be older than 23 (or more accurately for this year, born no later than 1st January 2001).
The overage player choices are always the standouts for Olympic squads, and other than Loïc Badé - barely old enough to count as overage - hosts France have selected an exciting strike partnership of Alexandre Lacazette and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Mateta will be linking up for the last few times with his ex-Crystal Palace teammate Michael Olise; the two were key for one of the Premier League’s most in-form teams at the end of last season.
Oh, and that’s France managed by Thierry Henry, by the way.
Former Liverpool man Naby Keïta captains Guinea while Nicolás Otamendi wears the armband for Argentina, for whom Julián Álvarez will be featuring, as they look to go level with Hungary and Great Britain (yes, really) on three golds each in this event.
Achraf Hakimi will be hoping to take Morocco on another deep run in his current city of residence, and Mohamed Elneny will be hoping Egypt can better their North African rivals.
You don’t see that every day
The opening match in Group A will be Guinea against New Zealand. The two opening matches of the whole tournament (15:00 local time) will be Argentina vs Morocco and Uzbekistan vs Spain.
Iraq vs Ukraine and Egypt vs Dominican Republic are also on offer, just on the first day, all before the hosts play the United States.
The Olympic football tournament has a habit of throwing together teams that you would never ordinarily see play against each other. For sheer novelty, that makes it a winner in my eyes!
Japan vs Paraguay feel too 2010 World Cup for you? Well, Mali vs Israel will be on straight after!
Sink into Spanish depths
Look through their Olympic squad and you realise just how deep Spanish talent runs in 2024, just days after the “first team” strolled their way to European glory. Spain lost to Brazil in the 2020 final, and with this a rare occasion when Brazil don’t feature, this could be a great chance for a second gold, after 1992.
PSG’s own Arnau Tenas wears the number one jersey, behind a formidable back four of Eric García and Pau Cubarsí.
Pablo Barrios, Álex Baena and Beñat Turrientes are just three of the reliable options they have in midfield, while 2023 UEFA under-21 top scorers Sergio Gómez and Abel Ruiz have their attack bolstered by Fermín López of Barcelona.
Uzbekistan, Egypt and Dominican Republic are tasked with keeping La Roja quiet in Group C, while the rest of us can sit back and admire the wealth of talent.
Finally, a simple format
The worst part about the dull end to the Euro 2024 group stage was knowing the safety first approach inspired by 66.7% of teams going through will be coming to the World Cup in two years’ time.
Even the Champions League is changing this season. It seems no one just wants a simple competition format any more.
Well, that’s where the Olympics steps in to provide what is fast-becoming the old-fashioned way of doing things.
16 teams. Four groups of four. The top two go through. Quarter-finals. Semi-final. Third-place play-off (someone has to win bronze, after all). Final.
Thank heavens.
Vive la France!
The football tournaments are one of the only Olympic sports that showcase the whole country, rather than just the home city. And, as every football enthusiast knows, France is a top-tier host nation for major tournaments.
Bringing memories of Euro 2016, World Cup 98 flooding back (or about half a dozen tournaments starting with the 1938 World Cup if you’re approaching 100), France is rolling out its iconic venues.
The Stade Vélodrome in Marseille will be hosting France’s first match, with Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, Nantes and Saint-Étienne also being used before the final takes place in Paris’ iconic Parc des Princes. C'est magnifique.
So, there you have five good reasons - one per Olympic ring, I’ve just decided - to watch the football at Paris 2024!
The group stage matches will be played on 24th, 27th and 30th July, the quarters on 2nd August, the semis on the 5th ahead of the bronze medal match on 8th and the gold medal match on 9th August.
Group A
France
United States
Guinea
New Zealand
Group B
Argentina
Morocco
Iraq
Ukraine
Group C
Uzbekistan
Spain
Egypt
Dominican Republic
Group D
Japan
Paraguay
Mali
Israel
Anthony Tomas is a football writer and commentator, who writes for Flashscore and World Soccer Magazine.