France will once again experience the enjoyment of international football in their country. Get ready for epic battles: Brazil's samba flair versus Spain's tiki-taka. Every match will be a nation's pride poured onto the pitch, all eyeing for that one golden dream.

All the young players get the ultimate opportunity of their career to give it the boost it needs. For them, it’s their chance to show what they are capable of and make a permanent spot in the national squad.

Sounds exciting, right? Then, let’s dive into the depth of Paris 2024 Football tournaments, and see how the whole fixture will pan out to keep up with the games.

History of Football at the Olympics

Before jumping into the Parisian football fiesta in 2024, we will go through the history of football legacy at the Olympics. You will understand why football at the Olympics holds so much value as if it's the World Cup 2024.

Here are some historical facts about Football at the Olympics -

Origin of football tournaments in the Olympics

It was back in 1900 when football tournaments became an integral part of the Olympics. National teams got to represent their countries in the event to fight for the most prestigious Olympic gold in the tournament.

The women’s football tournament began its journey with the Olympics in 1996. Since then, the Olympic games have always had the football tournament segment.

Evolution of Olympic Football Teams

Take a quick look at the number of teams participating in the Olympic football tournaments.

Past winners of the Football Olympics

Before we get to crown the 2024 World Cup winners, let’s take a glance at the previous winners who built this legacy of the Football Olympics.

Notable events in history

In every sport, some incidents become memories that remain iconic till the end of time. Here are such iconic moments that are memorable to this day

• Nigeria clinching their victory in 1996 to win the Gold medal was a key moment to define Nigerian football history.
• The USA women’s team won the game with an overtime goal to secure the gold medal for the second consecutive year.
• Another remarkable underdog story goes to the Cameroon national team in 2000, where they competed against a team like Spain and won.

Apart from these team achievements, there were some individual moments where players showed their skills to remain in the history books. Such as -

• Uwe Seeler’s stunning volley goal with exceptional acrobats remains one of the best goals in the Olympics.
• Maradona showed his magic on the football pitch in 1986 through his amazing dribbling abilities.
• Samuel Eto’s last-minute goal was to get Cameroon the victory and a gold medal.

Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Preview

In the tournament, there will be 16 men’s teams performing from different regions.

Selection of the teams

As per the Fifa 2024 committee, the 16 teams may likely include teams like Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, France, Israel, Mali, Morocco, Spain, the USA, and so forth.

According to the rules, France gets a slot for hosting the event. The other 15 slots are divided based on different football continents.

For instance, UEFA teams get 3 slots, AFC gets 3 slots, CAF gets 5 slots, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL gets 2 slots and OFC gets 1 slot.

Format of the game

In the men’s football tournament, there will be 4 groups consisting of four teams. Every team in the group will play one another. Until the top two from each group progress to the quarter-finals.

It is a very straightforward process after the quarter-finals where 8 teams battle it out and 4 winners qualify for the semi-finals. Then, 4 teams play for the chance to earn gold in the finals. The losers of each semi-final match compete for the bronze medal.

Every team has to build a squad consisting of players aged under 23. However, there is an exception where a country can request to have 3 players who are above that age.

Teams to look out for

Brazil is of course one of the teams everyone should look out for in the Olympics. Other than that, there is another powerhouse like Spain.

And you can’t count out France from the equation either, since they were the finalists of the 2022 World Cup.

Also, the way Morrocco performed in the last World Cup, can prove to be a tough competition in the tournament.

Players to watch

From these top teams, certain players may have all the limelight in the tournament. Some players you should watch out for are -

• Vinicius Jr: This Brazilian forward can be one of the pivotal parts of the Brazil team’s success in the tournament.
• Rodrygo: Rodrygo is another key to success for the Brazil team who is capable of turning a game around.
• Gavi: With the immense level of talent and understanding Gavi has made himself permanent on the Spain national squad.
• Pedri: Pedri’s excellence in playmaking gives him the spot to play in the Spanish national team participating in the Olympics.
• Kolo Muani: Kolo Muani has shown his skills on the pitch at both the international stage and with high-performing teams like PSG.

Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Preview

In the women’s tournament at the Olympic event, 12 teams will participate to win gold for their country.

Selection of the teams

For the women’s tournament, out of the 12 teams already 5 teams have confirmed their qualification, and 7 spots are yet to be filled. France, USA, Canada, Brazil, and Colombia have already secured their spot.

Along with them, Spain, Germany, Australia, Japan, North Korea, Samoa, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea are also some top contenders to fill the spots.

Among the 12 spots, France has taken the spot as the host country. Other than that, every other confederation will get two slots and OFC will only get one slot.

Format of the game

The format for women’s tournaments is a bit different as fewer teams are participating in it. The 12 teams are divided into 3 different groups consisting of 4 teams.

From there, the top two from each group progress to the knockout rounds. Two more teams qualify from the three groups, who have gotten the highest ranking amongst the third-place teams.

Afterwards, the format is the same as the men’s tournament with 8 teams playing in the quarter, 4 teams in the semis, and 2 teams playing in the finals. The losing teams in the semi-finals will play for the bronze medal.

However, with women’s tournaments, there are no age restrictions for the teams to form their squads.

Teams to look out for

The USA has always been a powerhouse for women’s football tournaments in the Olympics. Even today football predictions keep the USA as the frontrunner of any women’s football tournament.

Other than that, Colombia, France, Spain, Germany, and Brazil can also give tough competition to the teams participating in the tournament.

Players to watch

Out of all the teams that are playing in the tournament, some players can help their teams win games effortlessly. Here are the players to follow throughout the tournament.

• Salma Paralluelo: Salma Paralluelo of the Spanish women’s national team has quickly made herself known with exceptional skills.
• Sophie Smith: One of the young rising talents in the USA football squad who can easily impact the game from the forward position.
• Rose Lavelle: With her experience and technical abilities Rose Lavelle of the USA can take the game away from opponents.
• Kadidiatou Diani: She has already proven to be an asset for the French team with her performances in PSG and Lyon.

Venues

Now, let’s get down to the beautiful football sites of Paris you can witness throughout the tournament. The tournaments will be played in 7 different venues with their history and heritage carrying the glory.

Here are the venues in the tournament -

Conclusion

All in all, we tried to give you all the little insights, so you can dive into the action with some backstory in your knowledge.

From 1900 to 2024, the stage has given a lot of iconic footballers a kickstart to their careers. Players like Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, Di Maria and so many more have gotten their path to glory from here.

That's why, it's the perfect stage for any newcomer to prove their capabilities in front of an international crowd. Be prepared to witness someone starting their journey to create a legacy.