In the gold medal match at Tokyo 2020, Brazil was seen celebrating their victory in the men’s football tournament. Meanwhile, Canada emerged as champions in the women’s tournament. As we look ahead to Paris 2024, here is what you need to know about the sport:
The football events at Paris 2024 will run from July 24 to August 10, with matches taking place in seven different stadiums. The venues include Nice, St Etienne, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and the legendary Parc des Princes in Paris which can hold up to 48,000 fans.
Football at the Olympics follows the same rules as domestic and international football. Matches are played with two teams of 11 players each, and the side that scores more goals in the 90-minute match wins. Group stage matches can end in a draw but knockout games will continue to extra time and penalties if needed.
The men’s tournament consists of 16 teams divided into four groups with the top two from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. The women’s tournament features twelve teams grouped into three groups with the top two from each group and two best third-place teams advancing.
The USA is the most successful nation in Olympic football history with eight medals including four gold medals. Hungary is second on this list with five medals including three golds. Great Britain has won three Olympic gold medals but attempts to form a men’s team in 2016 were unsuccessful while their women’s team also failed to qualify for Tokyo Olympics.
