Olympics Soccer: A Journey Through Its Evolution and Impact
2024 saw Spain win the gold medal in men’s soccer, while the United States won the women’s tournament. Although Olympics soccer isn’t as popular as the World Cup or the Champions League yet, it’s made a lot of progress on its journey from the early days to now.
But how exactly has it changed and what can we expect next? That is what we will be covering in this blog post.
The Early Days
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896, in Greece. There were no official soccer games played, although an unofficial game was played between Greece and Denmark.
It’s not clear if this game was carried out as a demonstration event and there are few records of what happened, but at least we know that the Danish won the game. 1900 saw the event reach Paris and Olympics soccer took its place on the list of events.
Yet, it was a very understated affair, with only three teams taking part in a couple of games. Rather than international selections, countries were represented by individual teams. Upton Park F.C. won the event for Great Britain but no medals were awarded at the time.
Moving forward to the 1904 Olympics in the US, there were just three teams taking part. Medals were awarded for the first time and Galt F.C representing Canada won gold. Silver and bronze both went to the US. There is some debate over whether this was an official event or not, but it was certainly important in the development of Olympic football.
Further Advances
1932 was the only year since then when the Olympics have taken place without an official soccer tournament. In that case, the FIFA World Cup had just begun, and the organising body didn’t want any distractions from it.
That’s been an issue since then, as FIFA has looked for ways to stop Olympics soccer from featuring the top players. At present, this is done by only allowing players under the age of 23 together with just three older players. This ensures that the World Cup remains the top competition and explains why the Olympic event tends to have rather limited appeal.
Clubs aren’t obliged to release their players for the men’s Olympic games, while women’s teams need to release the players who have been chosen to take part. Only men’s teams participated until 1996 in Atlanta when women’s soccer was added. Eight teams took part in the women’s competition, with the US beating China 2-1 in the final to strike gold.
The rise of online streaming and betting has increased the appeal of sports in general. It is possible to watch a game live online while checking out the latest soccer odds. Games from all over the world are listed on soccer betting sites, with live and pre-match wagering offered. With the qualifying process for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles starting soon, there’s no need to wait too long before betting on some games.
The 2024 Men’s Event
A look at the popularity of the most recent Olympics in Paris shows us how far the sport has come in this event. The men’s competition was held across seven stadiums but the fact that Brazil didn’t qualify was a major surprise. The Brazilian team won the gold medal in 2016 and 2020 but failed to get to France this time.
Spain won its second soccer gold medal, with the other time being when the Olympics were hosted there in 1992. Host nation France won silver at the Parc des Princes, with the final game going to extra time before substitute Sergio Camello scored two goals to grab a 5-3 win.
This added to the feeling that Spain is currently the strongest soccer nation following its victory in the European Championships a month earlier.
The 2024 Women’s Event
This was the eighth time the women’s event had been held and the US team won its fifth gold medal. Many people thought that defending champion Canada would win the gold medal again, but the Canadians lost to Brazil at the quarter-final stage this time.
Brazil reached the final with the US and for the first time in history, it took place after the men’s final at the same venue. With women’s soccer becoming more popular in recent times, this is another sign that it’s gaining more fans and a bigger place in the overall sports world.
This was Brazil’s third time in the final but the fact that they´d lost both previous games to the Americans was a bad omen for them. Could they achieve a winning mindset this time? The answer was no, as Mallory Swanson scored the only goal of the game just before the hour mark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will soccer be included in the 2028 Olympics?
Yes, it’s included on the list of sports to be played at the event in Los Angeles, in 2028.
Who won gold in the 2024 Olympic soccer tournaments?
The men’s tournament was won by Spain while the US struck gold in the women’s tournament.
Has soccer been included in every Olympic Games held?
Almost, as it wasn’t played officially at the first modern Olympics and was also left out in 1932.
Conclusion
The relatively low profile of soccer in the Olympics makes it surprising to see that the sport has been virtually ever-present in the history of this global event. It’s been deliberately low-key for most of this time but there are some recent signs that it’s ready to gain a greater sense of appeal among fans of the Olympics.
