How does football work at the Olympic Games?

The international summer of football continues. From 24 July, football fans can watch the qualifying nations compete for gold in the men’s and women’s games played at Paris 2024.

However, there are a few key differences between this tournament and the ones we saw earlier in the summer.

The men’s tournament features just 16 teams, and many big names—including Tokyo 2020 gold medalists Brazil—missed out on qualification. Less famous football nations such as Uzbekistan and the Dominican Republic have qualified for a major international tournament for the first time.

Restrictions on squad sizes and players’ ages also apply, with all but three players out of the 18 required to be under the age of 24.

This scarcity of opportunity to represent your country means that even the best players in the world, such as former Nigerian international Mikel Jon Obi, rank their achievements at the Olympic Games equally alongside others in their storied careers.

Football at the Olympics often throws up surprises, and fans are certainly in for yet another thrilling edition this summer.