Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Tournament details
Host country	United Kingdom
Dates	25 July – 11 August
Teams	28 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)	6 (in 6 host cities)
← 2008 2016 →

Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in London and several other cities in the United Kingdom, from 25 July to 11 August. The finals will be played at Wembley Stadium. Associations affiliated with FIFA are invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate. Men's teams are allowed to augment their squad with three players over the age of 23. 504 footballers are expected to compete for two sets of gold medals.

For these games, the men will compete in a 16-team tournament, and the women in a 12-team tournament. Football preliminaries will actually commence two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Games on 27 July. The draw for the tournament will take place on 24 April 2012.

Squad restrictions for men's competition

The same restrictions used for recent Olympiads are applied, in which each squad is to consist of eighteen players, of which no more than three may be born before 1 January 1989.

United Kingdom teams

Main articles: United Kingdom national football team and Great Britain Olympic football team

On 24 August 2008, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown caused controversy when he suggested that there should be men and women's UK football teams at the 2012 games. He said that he had approached Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to coach such a team. The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish football associations opposed such a move in case it would affect their status within the governing body of football, FIFA.

On 29 May 2009, after last-ditch talks prompted by a FIFA deadline to settle the row, the four associations sent a letter to FIFA stating that while the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish associations would not participate in a unified UK men's or women's teams at the Olympic Games, they would not prevent England from fielding teams under that banner.

But Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and other non-English players will have the legal right to be considered for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, Britain's FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce has admitted. The deal among the four home nations is being challenged by the British Olympic Association. Boyce, who takes over his new role in June 2011, said there was no legal restriction as to why a player from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland could be stopped from playing. "If a young player wants to be selected then legally I don't see how he could be prevented from playing. I just hope it won't come to that," he said.

Men

Main article: Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament

Women

Main article: Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

Venues

Wembley Stadium

Old Trafford

Millennium Stadium

St James' Park

Hampden Park

City of
Coventry Stadium

Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics (the United Kingdom)

There are six stadiums that will host matches: The stadiums represent London itself and Southeast England, the English Midlands, Northwest England, Northeast England, Scotland and Wales.

City	Stadium	Capacity
London	Wembley Stadium	90,000
Manchester	Old Trafford	76,212
Cardiff	Millennium Stadium	74,500
Newcastle	St James' Park	52,387
Glasgow	Hampden Park	52,103
Coventry	City of Coventry Stadium	32,609

The Great Britain men's team will play at Old Trafford (26 July), Wembley (29 July) and Cardiff (1 August). The women's team will play at Cardiff (25 and 28 July) and Wembley (31 July).

Controversies

Iran's women's team and three Jordanian players were banned at the second round of the Asian qualification tournament due to not adhering to FIFA dress code; the players were allowed to play while covering their head in the first round. FIFA banned the hijab in 2007.