Frank Christian
Football has been a prominent sport at the Olympics, attracting large crowds and viewership worldwide. The men’s and women’s tournaments have their distinctions, especially concerning the selection of players.
While the women’s tournament features top players, the men’s tournament is primarily for U23 teams, allowing young talents to showcase their skills. However, teams are permitted to include a limited number of overage players in their squads.
The eligibility and selection rules for the men’s Olympic tournament, including which overage players will be part of the event, are analyzed by The Sporting News.
What are the age restrictions for players in the men’s Olympic football?
According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations, only players under the age of 23 can compete in men’s football at the Olympics, with a maximum of three over-23 players allowed per team.
For the Paris Olympics, 15 players in the final squads must be born on or after January 1, 2001, adhering to this age limit.
The rule was initially implemented in 1984, prohibiting players who had participated in the World Cup from taking part. In 1992, a slight relaxation allowed those with less than 90 minutes of World Cup play to be eligible.
Why do the eligibility rules differ between men’s and women’s Olympic football tournaments?
In 1984, when professional players were first introduced in the men’s tournament, FIFA was concerned about the Olympics overshadowing the World Cup in importance.
A compromise was reached, requiring European and South American teams to field players without World Cup experience, while other nations could select any players.
Additionally, as the Olympics fall outside FIFA’s official match calendar, clubs are not obligated to release players for national team duty, resulting in many top footballers not participating in the Olympic Games.
Which overage players will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Most of the 16 nations participating in this year’s Olympics have utilized the maximum three overage player allowance specified by the IOC rules.
Despite challenges in recruiting star players, notable talents such as Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi from Argentina, Alex Baena and Fermin Lopez from Spain, and Achraf Hakimi from Morocco will feature in the event.
The United States will have Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, and Djordje Mihailovic as their overage players in Group A.
List of overage players at the 2024 Paris Olympics
| Country | Overage players |
|---|---|
| France | Loic Bade (Sevilla) Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon) Jean Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) |
Who emerged victorious in the men’s football tournament at the 2020 Olympics?
In the previous Olympics held in Tokyo, Brazil clinched the gold medal in men’s football by defeating Spain 2-1 in the final.
Brazil secured the win with goals from Matheus Cunha and Malcom in extra time. However, they will not be defending their title in Paris.
Mexico claimed the bronze medal by overcoming Japan 3-1 in the third-place match at the 2020 Olympics.
