Football at the Summer Olympics
| Founded | 1900 |
|---|---|
| Region | International (FIFA) |
| Number of teams | 16 (from 6 confederations) |
| Current champions |  Mexico M(1st title)  United States W(4th title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Great Britain M(3 titles)  Hungary M(3 titles) United States W(4 titles) |
| Football at the Summer Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Governing body | FIFA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Events | 2 (men: 1; women: 1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Medalists | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official program in 1996.
Contents |
Early history[edit]
Football was first played in Greece on the program at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, as international football was in its infancy at the time. However, sources claim that an unofficial football tournament was organized during the first competition, in which an Athens XI lost to a team representing Smyrna (Izmir), then part of the Ottoman Empire.[1] However, it is in fact unclear whether any competition took place at all; the Olympic historian Bill Mallon has written: "Supposedly a match between a Greek club and a Danish club took place. No such 1896 source supports this and we think this is an error which has been perpetuated in multiple texts. No such match occurred".[2]
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. Although the IOC considers the 1900 and 1904 tournaments to be official Olympic events, they are not recognized by FIFA; neither recognizes 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 Music Club 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 spirit, which meant that some countries could not send their full international team. 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, the Czechoslovakia national football team walked from the field of play in order to raise awareness of their displeasure regarding the refereeing of John Lewis and the militarised mood within the stadium in Antwerp. In the 1924 and 1928 Olympic games, the first South American teams entered the competition: Uruguay and Argentina. Uruguay won both Olympics and FIFA became conscious that the Olympic movement was not only hindering the ability of nations to participate on an equal footing but, given that the Olympics only permitted amateurs to participate, did not represent the true strength of the international game.
Olympics after the first World Cup[edit]
Following Henri Delaunay's proposal in 1929 to initiate a professional World Championship of Football, the sport was dropped from the 1932 Los Angeles Games in an attempt to promote the growing sport of American football in the United States. Football returned at the 1936 Berlin Games. The German organisers were intent on the return of the game to the Olympic movement since it guaranteed vital income into the organisation's coffers. The German national side was defeated by Norway in a second-round match that was attended by Adolf Hitler. Hitler interfered with the proper development of the football Olympics, as evidenced by his successfully requesting that Peru's victory over Austria be annulled, and the game repeated, on the grounds of supposed fan invasion of the field at the end of the game. The Peruvian team refused and left the Olympics. 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. Between 1948 and 1980, 23 out of 27 Olympic medals were won by Eastern Europe, with only Sweden (gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952), Denmark (silver in 1960) and Japan (bronze in 1968) breaking their dominance.
Changes and developments[edit]
For the 1984 Los Angeles Games, the IOC decided to admit professional players. FIFA still did not want the Olympics to rival the World Cup, so a compromise was struck that allowed teams from Africa, Asia, Oceania and CONCACAF to field their strongest professional sides, while restricting UEFA and CONMEBOL teams to players who had not played in a World Cup. Many countries fielded young teams, including France, who won the 1984 Olympic title, coincidentally in the same year that the main team won the European Football Championship, less than two months before.
Since 1992 male competitors must be under 23 years old, with three over-23 players allowed per squad. The new format allows teams from around the world to compete equally, and African countries have taken particular advantage of this, with Nigeria and Cameroon winning in 1996 and 2000 respectively.
Because of the unusual format, several of the historically strongest footballing countries have unimpressive Olympic records. The Netherlands won bronze in the first three tournaments, but did not reach the finals between 1952 and 2008. Uruguay won the tournament in their first two attempts, in 1924 and 1928, their only appearances before they qualified for London 2012. Argentina won silver twice before the 2004 Athens Games, but its appearance in Athens, in which it won the first gold medal (the second was won in Beijing in 2008), was only their sixth overall. Brazil's silver medals in the 1984, 1988 and 2012 are the best they have achieved, and the men's team failed to qualify in 1992 and 2004. Hungary won three gold medals, in 1952, 1964 and 1968, but has not returned to the finals since 1996. Italy has only won the Olympic title once, in 1936, although it has also won two bronzes, and has the highest number of appearances in the tournament, at 15. Germany's best result was a single bronze medal, in the 1988 tournament (as West Germany), and the reunified team has yet to qualify for the Olympics.
British non-involvement[edit]
After 1974, when the Football Association of England abolished the distinction between "amateur" and "professional" football, Great Britain no longer entered a team into the qualifying competitions of the Olympics.
The four parts of the United Kingdom, known as the 'Home Nations' – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – have separate international teams within FIFA, which includes a guaranteed position as Vice-President on the FIFA Executive Committee[citation needed] and have a 50% presence on the International Football Association Board, which sits annually to debate changes within the Laws of the Game.
With London selected as the host for the 2012 Games there was considerable pressure within the English FA, British Olympic Committee and the British Government for the UK to field men's and women's teams.[3] The Football Association of Wales[4] and Scottish Football Association[5] have strongly objected to this out of fear it may lead to their separate status in FIFA competitions being called into question. The Irish Football Association, which covers Northern Ireland, is less strong in its view.[6][not in citation given]
On 24 July 2008, speaking about the proposal for a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at the 2012 London Olympics, the Scottish Football Association's Chief Executive, Gordon Smith said:
"The Scottish FA's position on this issue remains the same – we are opposed to the concept of a British football team. As we have said many times before, we feel that such a move would threaten the independent status of the Home Nations.
"Also, when we speak to our fan groups about this issue, they tell us that they are strongly opposed to the idea. As the governing body of football in this country, we will always do what is best for the sport here in Scotland.
"On a personal note, I feel that the Olympics should be the pinnacle of any sport and it is doubtful as to whether an age restricted football competition in the Olympics would ever be able to rival the World Cup."[5]
The row amongst the four UK associations ended when they agreed on a compromise by which England would exclusively organize men's and women's teams, made up entirely of English players, to play as Great Britain. On 29 May 2009, the four associations sent a joint letter to FIFA stating that "the Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh Associations recognize that England want to do this and there'll be no further opposition from them to England taking part as Team UK providing they do not attempt to include any Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish players".[7] The full squad for the men's team for the Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012, and contained 13 English and 5 Welsh players,[8] while two Scottish players were selected for the women's team.[9] No Northern Irish players were selected for either team.
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 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, there are 120 venues that have hosted Olympic football, the most of any sport.
Events[edit]
| Event | 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 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men'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 | 25 | ||
| Women's event | X | X | X | X | X | 5 |
Participating nations[edit]
Men[edit]
(Note: Where applicable, numbers refer to the number of teams from each country)
| 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 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Austria |
– | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 Belarus |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 1 |
 Belgium |
Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | 5 |
 Bulgaria |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 |
 Czech Republic |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | 1 |
 Czechoslovakia |
– | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 |
 Denmark |
– | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | 8 |
 East Germany[10] |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 Estonia |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Finland |
– | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 France |
Y | – | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | 12 |
 Germany[11] |
– | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 |
| Great Britain |
Y | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 10 |
 Greece |
– | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | 3 |
| Hungary |
– | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | 9 |
 Ireland |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Israel |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Italy |
– | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | 15 |
 Latvia |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Lithuania |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Luxembourg |
– | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 |
 Netherlands |
– | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | 8 |
 Norway |
– | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 |
 Poland |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | 7 |
 Portugal |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | 3 |
 Romania |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Russia |
– | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Serbia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | 1 |
 Serbia and Montenegro |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | 1 |
 Slovakia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | 1 |
 Soviet Union |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 |
 Spain |
– | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | Y | 10 |
 Sweden |
– | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | 9 |
 Switzerland |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 3 |
 Turkey |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 |
 Yugoslavia |
– | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | 11 |
| 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 | Years |
| CONMEBOL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Argentina |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | Y | – | 7 |
 Brazil |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | 12 |
 Chile |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | 4 |
 Colombia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 Paraguay |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | 2 |
 Peru |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Uruguay |
– | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 3 |
 Venezuela |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| 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 | Years |
| CONCACAF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Canada |
– | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Costa Rica |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | 3 |
 Cuba |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 El Salvador |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Guatemala |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Honduras |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | 3 |
| Mexico |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – | Y | 10 |
 Netherlands Antilles |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| United States |
– | Y[12] | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – | 14 |
| 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 | Years |
| CAF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Algeria |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Cameroon |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | 3 |
 Egypt |
– | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | 11 |
 Ivory Coast |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | 1 |
 Gabon |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 1 |
 Ghana |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – | – | 6 |
 Guinea |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Mali |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | 1 |
 Morocco |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | 7 |
 Nigeria |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – | 6 |
 Senegal |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 1 |
 South Africa |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | 1 |
 Sudan |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Tunisia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | 4 |
 Zambia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| 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 | Years |
| AFC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Afghanistan |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Australia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | 7 |
 China |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | – | 2 |
 Chinese Taipei |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 India |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 |
 Indonesia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Iran |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
 Iraq |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | 4 |
 Japan |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
 Kuwait |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | 3 |
 Malaysia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Myanmar |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 North Korea |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Qatar |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 Saudi Arabia |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 South Korea |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
 Syria |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
 Thailand |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
 United Arab Emirates |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | 1 |
| 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 | Years |
| OFC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 New Zealand |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | 2 |
| 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 | Years |
| '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 | |
Women[edit]
Numbers refer to the final placing of each team at the respective Games.
| Nation | 96 | 00 | 04 | 08 | 12 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
– | – | – | = 11 | – | 1 |
| Australia |
– | 7 | 5 | – | – | 2 |
| Brazil |
4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Cameroon |
– | – | – | – | 12 | 1 |
| Canada |
– | – | – | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| China |
2 | 5 | 9 | 5 | – | 4 |
| Colombia |
– | – | – | – | 11 | 1 |
| Denmark |
8 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| France |
– | – | – | – | 4 | 1 |
| Germany |
5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 4 |
| Great Britain |
– | – | – | – | 5 | 1 |
| Greece |
– | – | 10 | – | – | 1 |
| Japan |
7 | – | 7 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Mexico |
– | – | 8 | – | – | 1 |
| New Zealand |
– | – | – | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Nigeria |
– | 8 | 6 | =11 | – | 3 |
| North Korea |
– | – | – | 9 | 9 | 2 |
| Norway |
3 | 1 | – | 7 | – | 3 |
| South Africa |
– | – | – | – | 10 | 1 |
| Sweden |
6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| United States |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Total nations | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
Men's tournament[edit]
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 and South American qualifiers from the South American Youth Championship, which is a U-20 tournament. For the 2012 Games, the number of places allocated to each continent was:
- Europe – 4
- Asia – 3.5
- Africa – 3.5
- South America – 2
- North America – 2
- Oceania – 1
Women's tournament[edit]
The women's tournament is contested between full national sides, with no age 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 are chosen from the most successful European teams in the previous year's World Cup, whilst 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. USA won the gold medal, and picked up silver in 2000 after an extra time defeat by Norway. The finals of the next two tournaments, in 2004 and 2008, also went to extra time, with USA defeating Brazil both times. In 2012 USA won their 4th the gold medal defeating Japan 2-1 in the final.
Allocation of places for each continent in the 2012 Games will be:
- Europe – 3 (including host Great Britain)
- Africa – 2
- Asia – 2
- South America – 2
- North America – 2
- Oceania – 1
Records[edit]
Denmark's Sophus Nielsen in the 1908 and 1912 hold the record for the most goals scored by a player in an all and single tournament, scoring 13 goals.
Men's results[edit]
- Key:
- aet – after extra time
- asdet – after sudden death extra time
Men's top scorers by tournament[edit]
| Year | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unknown | |
| 1904 |  Alexander Hall Tom Taylor |
3 |
| 1908 | Sophus Nielsen |
11 |
| 1912 |  Gottfried Fuchs |
10 |
| 1920 | Herbert Karlsson |
7 |
| 1924 | Pedro Petrone |
8 |
| 1928 | Domingo Tarasconi |
9 |
| 1936 |  Annibale Frossi |
7 |
| 1948 | John Hansen Gunnar Nordahl |
7 |
| 1952 | Rajko Mitic Branko Zebec |
7 |
| 1956 | Todor Veselinovic Dimitar Milanov Neville D'Souza |
4 |
| 1960 | Harald Nielsen |
8 |
| 1964 | Ferenc Bene |
12 |
| 1968 | Kunishige Kamamoto |
7 |
| 1972 | Kazimierz Deyna |
9 |
| 1976 | Andrzej Szarmach |
6 |
| 1980 | Sergei Andreev |
5 |
| 1984 | Borislav Cvetković Stjepan Deveric Daniel Xuereb |
5 |
| 1988 | Romario |
7 |
| 1992 | Andrzej Juskowiak |
7 |
| 1996 | Bebeto Hernán Crespo |
6 |
| 2000 | Iván Zamorano |
6 |
| 2004 | Carlos Tévez |
8 |
| 2008 | Giuseppe Rossi |
4 |
| 2012 | Leandro Damião |
6 |
Women's results[edit]
| Year | Host | Final | Third place match | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | 3rd place | Score | 4th place | ||
| 1996 Details |
Atlanta |
 United States |
2 – 1 |  China |
 Norway |
2 – 0 |  Brazil |
| 2000 Details |
Sydney |
Norway |
3 – 2 asdet |
United States |
 Germany |
2 – 0 | Brazil |
| 2004 Details |
Athens |
United States |
2 – 1 aet |
Brazil |
Germany |
1 – 0 |  Sweden |
| 2008 Details |
Beijing |
United States |
1 – 0 aet |
Brazil |
Germany |
2 – 0 |  Japan |
| 2012 Details |
London |
United States |
2 – 1 |
Japan |
 Canada |
1 – 0 |  France |
| 2016 Details |
Rio de Janeiro |
||||||
- Key:
- aet – after extra time
- asdet – after sudden death extra time
Women's top scorers by tournament[edit]
| Year | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Ann Kristin Aarønes Linda Medalen Pretinha |
4 |
| 2000 | Sun Wen |
4 |
| 2004 | Cristiane Birgit Prinz |
5 |
| 2008 | Cristiane |
5 |
| 2012 | Christine Sinclair |
6 |
Medal table[edit]
Men's medal table[edit]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary (HUN) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | Great Britain (GBR) |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Argentina (ARG) |
2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Soviet Union (URS) |
2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Uruguay (URU) |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Yugoslavia (YUG) |
1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Poland (POL) |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Spain (ESP) |
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 9 | East Germany (GDR)[10] |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Czechoslovakia (TCH) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| France (FRA) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Nigeria (NGR) |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 13 | Italy (ITA) |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Sweden (SWE) |
1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 15 | Belgium (BEL) |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | Cameroon (CMR) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada (CAN) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Mexico (MEX) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 19 | Denmark (DEN) |
0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 20 | Brazil (BRA) |
0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 21 | United States (USA) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Bulgaria (BUL) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 23 | Austria (AUT) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Paraguay (PAR) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Switzerland (SUI) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 25 | Netherlands (NED) |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 27 | Chile (CHI) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ghana (GHA) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Japan (JPN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Norway (NOR) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| South Korea (KOR) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| West Germany (FRG) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Women's medal table[edit]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States (USA) |
4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 2 | Norway (NOR) |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Brazil (BRA) |
0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | China (CHN) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Japan (JPN) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | Germany (GER) |
0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 7 | Canada (CAN) |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Goldblatt, David. The Ball Is Round : A Global History of Football. Penguin Books. p. 243. ISBN 978-0-14-101582-8.
- ^ Mallon, Bill; & Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. p. 118. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9.
- ^ "Brown pays tribute to GB success". BBC News. 24 August 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
- ^ http://www.faw.org.uk/home
- ^ a b http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news.cfm?newsid=4029&pageid=155&back=1
- ^ http://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/YOUR-VIEWS-Olympic-football-threat.4327759.jp
- ^ "Nations pave way for 2012 GB team". BBC Sport. 2009-05-29. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
- ^ "Going for gold: Team GB Pearce reveals 18-man squad for London Olympics". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- ^ "So much for Team GB... Powell defends nearly all-English women's football squad". Daily Mail. 26 June 2012.
- ^ a b c The East German team represented the United Team of Germany in 1964, winning the bronze medal.
- ^ The team represented the United Team of Germany in 1956, and the Federal Republic of Germany (i.e., West Germany) in 1972, 1984 and 1988, and winning the bronze medal in 1988.
- ^ The United States had two of the three teams at the 1904 Games, taking the silver and bronze medals.
- ^ a b The 1900 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.
- ^ a b The 1904 tournament was originally a set of demonstration matches between the three teams (two from the United States), but has subsequently been upgraded to official status by the IOC with medals attributed to the teams based upon the round-robin results.
- ^ a b In 1920, Czechoslovakia abandoned the final match against Belgium after 40 minutes with the latter up 2–0. They were disqualified, and a mini-tournament to figure out the other medalists was held, with Spain beating the Netherlands for second place 3–1.
- ^ In 1972, the third place match between the Soviet Union and East Germany was a 2–2 tie after extra time had expired. Both teams were awarded bronze medals.
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