The Olympic Games are always a special occasion, and football, or soccer as it is known in some parts of the world, is a highlight.
Football was first included in the Olympic Games at the 1900 Paris Games and has been a regular sport ever since, with the exception of the 1932 Los Angeles Games.
Women’s football was added to the Olympic programme in 1996 at the Atlanta Games. The Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament promises to continue this rich tradition with exciting matches that will light up the stage in the coming days.
In women’s soccer, the United States has had great success, winning gold at the Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Germany took gold at Rio 2016 and Canada are the reigning champions after winning at Tokyo 2020.
In men’s football, European teams dominated until Spain’s victory in Barcelona in 1992. Since the 1996 Atlanta Games, African and Latin American teams have won every gold medal, with Brazil winning consecutively, including at Tokyo 2020.
When will the 2024 Paris Olympic football tournament take place?
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics football tournament will take place from 24 July to 10 August 2024. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be held during this period.
The draw for the matches was held in Paris on 20 March 2024. Featuring teams from all over the world, the tournament will offer top-level football action over these two and a half weeks.
Where will the 2024 Paris Olympic football tournament be played?
The matches will be spread across seven venues in different cities across France, ensuring wide geographical coverage and allowing more fans to watch the action live.
In addition to the host city of Paris, these matches will bring Olympic excitement to Bordeaux, Décines-Charpieu near Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice and Saint-Étienne, allowing fans from different regions to experience the thrill of Olympic football first-hand.
Below are the details of the stadiums where the matches will be played:
| City | Stadium | Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Marseilles | Marseille Stadium | 67,394 |
| Décines-Charpieu (Lyon region) | Lyon Stadium | 59,186 |
| Paris | Princes Park | 47,929 |
| Bordeaux | Bordeaux Stadium | 42.115 |
| Saint Etienne | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 41.965 |
| Nice | Nice Stadium | 36.178 |
| Nantes | Beaujoire Stadium | 35.322 |
Paris 2024 Olympic Football Tournament: List of qualified teams
Teams qualified for men’s football in Paris 2024
In the men’s tournament, a total of 16 teams have earned their place through various qualifying tournaments. This will be an under-23 competition, but each team can include three players over the age of 23, which will add a mix of experience to the young teams.
The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has qualified for the first time since 2008. Host France and reigning World Cup champion Argentina are among the favorites, especially since two-time defending champion Brazil failed to qualify.
| Rating media | Mooring(s) | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| Host country | 1 | France |
| CONCACAF U-20 Championship 2022 | 2 | United States, Dominican Republic |
| UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2023 | 3 | Spain, Israel, Ukraine |
| 2023 Africa Cup of Nations U-23 | 3 | Morocco, Egypt, Mali |
| OFC 2023 Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 1 | New Zealand |
| CONMEBOL 2024 Pre-Olympic Tournament | 2 | Paraguay, Argentina |
| AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2024 | 3 | Japan, Uzbekistan, Iraq |
| Play-off match between AFC and CAF | 1 | Guinea |
Teams qualified for women’s football in Paris 2024
The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), under new coach Emma Hayes, is one of the favorites to win gold. Although they haven’t won an Olympic gold since 2012 in London, they are aiming for a comeback.
However, they will face a tough group stage with strong teams such as Germany, Australia and Zambia. Host country France is also expected to perform well, and other top contenders include Canada, Brazil, reigning world champions Spain and Japan.
| Rating media | Mooring(s) | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| Host country | 1 | France |
| CONCACAF Women’s Championship 2022 | 1 | USA |
| Women’s Copa America 2022 | 2 | Brazil, Colombia |
| CONCACAF Qualifiers | 1 | Canada |
| OFC 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 1 | New Zealand |
| UEFA Women’s Nations League Finals 2024 | 2 | Spain, Germany |
| AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 | 2 | Australia, Japan |
| CAF 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 2 | Nigeria, Zambia |
Schedule and start times for the Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament
The Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament will be a combination of group and knockout stages. For the men’s team, 16 teams will be pided into four equal groups, with the top two qualifying for the quarter-final round. In addition to the semi-final and final (gold medal match), there will be a third-place match to decide the bronze medal.
For the women, 12 teams will be pided into three equal groups and the two best third-place teams will qualify for the quarter-final round, which will be followed by the semi-final, final and bronze medal match.
The Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament will kick off with the men’s group stage clashes on Wednesday 24 July, when Uzbekistan will take on European giants Spain.
Meanwhile, in the women’s category, the tournament will kick off on Thursday, July 25 with the match between the world champions, Spain, and Japan.
The start times below are in local time (CET). The UK (BST) is 1 hour behind Paris, the US and Canada (ET) 6 hours behind, India (IST) 3.5 hours ahead and Australia (AEDT) 8 hours ahead.
For example, a start at 3:00pm CET translates to 2:00pm BST / 9:00am ET / 6:30pm IST / 11:00pm AEDT.
Schedule for the Paris 2024 Olympic men’s football tournament
Group stage
| Date | Cluster | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 24th | C | Uzbekistan vs Spain | Princes Park | 3 pm |
| July 24th | B | Argentina vs Morocco | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 3 pm |
| July 24th | C | Egypt vs Dominican Republic | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 24th | TO | Guinea vs New Zealand | Nice Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 24th | D | Japan vs Paraguay | Bordeaux Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 24th | B | Iraq vs Ukraine | Lyon Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 24th | D | Mali vs Israel | Princes Park | 21 hours |
| July 24th | TO | France vs. United States | Marseille Stadium | 21 hours |
| July 27th | C | Dominican Republic vs Spain | Bordeaux Stadium | 3 pm |
| July 27th | B | Argentina vs Iraq | Lyon Stadium | 3 pm |
| July 27th | C | Uzbekistan vs Egypt | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 27th | B | Ukraine vs Morocco | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 27th | TO | New Zealand vs USA | Marseille Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 27th | D | Israel vs Paraguay | Princes Park | 7 pm |
| July 27th | D | Japan vs Mali | Bordeaux Stadium | 21 hours |
| July 27th | TO | France vs Guinea | Nice Stadium | 21 hours |
| July 30th | C | Dominican Republic vs Uzbekistan | Princes Park | 3 pm |
| July 30th | C | Spain vs Egypt | Bordeaux Stadium | 3 pm |
| July 30th | B | Ukraine vs Argentina | Lyon Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 30th | B | Morocco vs Iraq | Nice Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 30th | TO | United States vs. Guinea | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 30th | TO | New Zealand vs France | Marseille Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 30th | D | Paraguay vs. Mali | Princes Park | 21 hours |
| July 30th | D | Israel vs Japan | La Beaujoire Stadium | 21 hours |
Quarter finals
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2nd | Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up | Princes Park | 3 pm |
| August 2nd | Winner of Group D vs. Runner-up of Group C | Lyon Stadium | 5 pm |
| August 2nd | Winner of Group C vs. Runner-up of Group D | Marseille Stadium | 7 pm |
| August 2nd | Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up | Bordeaux Stadium | 21 hours |
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 5 | Quarterfinal Winner 1 vs. Quarterfinal Winner 3 | Marseille Stadium | 6 pm |
| August 5 | Quarterfinal Winner 2 vs. Quarterfinal Winner 4 | Lyon Stadium | 21 hours |
Bronze medal
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 8th | Bronze medal match | Nantes | 5 pm |
Gold medal
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 9 | Gold Medal Match | Princes Park | 6 pm |
Schedule for the Paris 2024 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament
Group stage
| Date | Cluster | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 25th | C | Spain vs Japan | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 25th | TO | Canada vs New Zealand | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 25th | C | Nigeria vs Brazil | Bordeaux Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 25th | B | Germany vs Australia | Marseille Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 25th | TO | France vs Colombia | Lyon Stadium | 21 hours |
| July 25th | B | United States vs Zambia | Nice Stadium | 21 hours |
| 28 of July | C | Brazil vs Japan | Princes Park | 5 pm |
| 28 of July | TO | New Zealand vs Colombia | Lyon Stadium | 5 pm |
| 28 of July | C | Spain vs Nigeria | La Beaujoire Stadium | 7 pm |
| 28 of July | B | Australia vs Zambia | Nice Stadium | 7 pm |
| 28 of July | TO | France vs Canada | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 21 hours |
| 28 of July | B | United States vs Germany | Marseille Stadium | 21 hours |
| July 31st | C | Japan vs Nigeria | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 31st | C | Brazil vs Spain | Bordeaux Stadium | 5 pm |
| July 31st | B | Zambia vs Germany | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 31st | B | Australia vs. United States | Marseille Stadium | 7 pm |
| July 31st | TO | New Zealand vs France | Lyon Stadium | 21 hours |
| July 31st | TO | Colombia vs Canada | Nice Stadium | 21 hours |
Quarter finals
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 3rd | Winner of Group B vs. Runner-up of Group C | Princes Park | 3 pm |
| August 3rd | Group C winner vs. Group A/B 3rd place | Lyon Stadium | 5 pm |
| August 3rd | Runner-up of Group A vs. Runner-up of Group B | Marseille Stadium | 7 pm |
| August 3rd | Winner of Group A vs. 3rd place of Group B/C | La Beaujoire Stadium | 21 hours |
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th August | Quarterfinal Winner 2 vs. Quarterfinal Winner 4 | Lyon Stadium | 6 pm |
| 6th August | Quarterfinal Winner 1 vs. Quarterfinal Winner 3 | Marseille Stadium | 21 hours |
Bronze medal
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 9 | Bronze medal match | Lyon Stadium | 3 pm |
Gold medal
| Date | Match | Event | Local time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 10th | Gold Medal Match | Princes Park | 5 pm |
