The Olympic Games are always a special occasion, and football, or soccer as it's known in some parts of the world, is a major highlight.
Soccer was first included in the Olympics at the 1900 Paris Games and has been a regular feature since, except for the 1932 Los Angeles Games.
Women's soccer joined the Olympic program in 1996 at the Atlanta Games. The Paris 2024 Olympic soccer tournament promises to continue this rich tradition with exciting matches set to light up the stage in the coming days.
For women's soccer, the USA has been very successful, winning gold at the Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012 Olympics. Germany took gold at Rio 2016, and Canada are the current champions after winning at Tokyo 2020.
In men's soccer, European teams dominated up to and including Spain's victory in 1992 in Barcelona. Since the 1996 Atlanta Games, African and Latin American teams have won every gold medal, with Brazil winning consecutively, including at Tokyo 2020.
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When is Paris 2024 Olympic soccer tournament?
The soccer tournament at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics takes place from July 24 to August 10, 2024. This period will see both the men's and women's tournaments being contested.
The draw for the matches was held in Paris on March 20, 2024. With teams from all over the world, the tournament is set to deliver top-tier football action over these two and a half weeks.
Where is Paris 2024 Olympic soccer tournament being played?
The matches will be spread across seven venues in different cities in France, ensuring a wide geographical coverage and allowing more fans to witness the action live.
In addition to the host city of Paris, these matches will bring Olympic excitement to Bordeaux, Decines-Charpieu near Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, and Saint-Etienne. This allows fans from different regions to experience the thrill of Olympic soccer firsthand.
Here are the details of the stadiums where the games will be held:
| City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|
| Marseille | Stade de Marseille | 67,394 |
| Decines-Charpieu (Lyon area) | Stade de Lyon | 59,186 |
| Paris | Parc des Princes | 47,929 |
| Bordeaux | Stade de Bordeaux | 42,115 |
| Saint-Etienne | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard | 41,965 |
| Nice | Stade de Nice | 36,178 |
| Nantes | Stade de la Beaujoire | 35,322 |
MORE: USA men's Olympic soccer roster 2024
Paris 2024 Olympic soccer tournament: List of qualified teams
Qualified Teams for Men’s Soccer at Paris 2024
For the men's tournament, a total of 16 teams secured their spots through various qualification tournaments. This is an under-23 competition, but each team is allowed to include three players over the age of 23, adding a mix of experience to the youthful squads.
The U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) qualified for the first time since 2008. Hosts France and reigning World Cup champions Argentina are among the favorites, especially since two-time defending champions Brazil did not qualify.
| Means of Qualification | Berth(s) | Qualified Teams |
|---|
| Host nation | 1 | France |
| 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship | 2 | United States, Dominican Republic |
| 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship | 3 | Spain, Israel, Ukraine |
| 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations | 3 | Morocco, Egypt, Mali |
| 2023 OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 1 | New Zealand |
| 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament | 2 | Paraguay, Argentina |
| 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup | 3 | Japan, Uzbekistan, Iraq |
| AFC–CAF play-off | 1 | Guinea |
Qualified Teams for Women's Soccer at Paris 2024
The US Women's National Team (USWNT), under the guidance of new head 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 face a tough group stage with strong teams like Germany, Australia, and Zambia. Host nation France is also expected to perform well, and other top contenders include Canada, Brazil, reigning World Cup champions Spain, and Japan.
| Means of Qualification | Berth(s) | Qualified Teams |
|---|
| Host nation | 1 | France |
| 2022 CONCACAF W Championship | 1 | United States |
| 2022 Copa América Femenina | 2 | Brazil, Colombia |
| CONCACAF play-off | 1 | Canada |
| 2024 OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 1 | New Zealand |
| 2024 UEFA Women's Nations League Finals | 2 | Spain, Germany |
| 2024 AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 2 | Australia, Japan |
| 2024 CAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament | 2 | Nigeria, Zambia |
Paris 2024 Olympic soccer tournament schedule, kickoff times
The 2024 Paris Olympic soccer tournament is a mix of group stage and knockout clashes. For men, 16 teams aredivided into four equal groups with the top two qualifying for the quarterfinal round. Apart from the semifinal and final (Gold Medal Match), there will be a third-place match to decide the Bronze Medal.
For women, 12 teams are divided into three equal groups with the top two and two best third-place teams qualifying for the quarterfinal round, which will be followed by semifinal and final and bronze-medal matches.
The Paris 2024 Olympic soccer tournament began with men's group-stage clashes on Wednesday, July 24 with Uzbekistan taking on European giants Spain.
Meanwhile, for women, the tournament started on Thursday, July 25 with world champions Spain taking on Japan.
Kickoff times listed below are in local time (CET). The UK (BST) is 1 hour behind Paris, the US/Canada (ET) 6 hours behind, India (IST) 3.5 hours ahead and Australia (AEDT) 8 hours ahead.
For example a 3 p.m. CET kickoff translates to 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 6.30 p.m. IST / 11 p.m. AEDT.
Men's Paris 2024 Olympic Soccer Tournament Schedule
Group Stage
| Date | Group | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| July 24 | C | Uzbekistan vs. Spain | Parc des Princes | 3 p.m. |
| July 24 | B | Argentina vs. Morocco | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 3 p.m. |
| July 24 | C | Egypt vs. Dominican Republic | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 24 | A | Guinea vs. New Zealand | Nice Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 24 | D | Japan vs. Paraguay | Bordeaux Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 24 | B | Iraq vs. Ukraine | Lyon Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 24 | D | Mali vs. Israel | Parc des Princes | 9 p.m. |
| July 24 | A | France vs. United States | Marseille Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 27 | C | Dominican Republic vs. Spain | Bordeaux Stadium | 3 p.m. |
| July 27 | B | Argentina vs. Iraq | Lyon Stadium | 3 p.m. |
| July 27 | C | Uzbekistan vs. Egypt | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 27 | B | Ukraine vs. Morocco | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 27 | A | New Zealand vs. United States | Marseille Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 27 | D | Israel vs. Paraguay | Parc des Princes | 7 p.m. |
| July 27 | D | Japan vs. Mali | Bordeaux Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 27 | A | France vs. Guinea | Nice Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 30 | C | Dominican Republic vs. Uzbekistan | Parc des Princes | 3 p.m. |
| July 30 | C | Spain vs. Egypt | Bordeaux Stadium | 3 p.m. |
| July 30 | B | Ukraine vs. Argentina | Lyon Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 30 | B | Morocco vs. Iraq | Nice Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 30 | A | United States vs. Guinea | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 30 | A | New Zealand vs. France | Marseille Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 30 | D | Paraguay vs. Mali | Parc des Princes | 9 p.m. |
| July 30 | D | Israel vs. Japan | La Beaujoire Stadium | 9 p.m. |
Quarterfinal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 2 | Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up | Parc des Princes | 3 p.m. |
| August 2 | Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up | Lyon Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| August 2 | Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up | Marseille Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| August 2 | Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up | Bordeaux Stadium | 9 p.m. |
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 5 | Winner Quarterfinal 1 vs. Winner Quarterfinal 3 | Marseille Stadium | 6 p.m. |
| August 5 | Winner Quarterfinal 2 vs. Winner Quarterfinal 4 | Lyon Stadium | 9 p.m. |
Bronze Medal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 8 | Bronze Medal Match | Nantes | 5 p.m. |
Gold Medal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 9 | Gold Medal Match | Parc des Princes | 6 p.m. |
Women's Paris 2024 Olympic Soccer Tournament Schedule
Group Stage
| Date | Group | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| July 25 | C | Spain vs. Japan | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 25 | A | Canada vs. New Zealand | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 25 | C | Nigeria vs. Brazil | Bordeaux Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 25 | B | Germany vs. Australia | Marseille Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 25 | A | France vs. Colombia | Lyon Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 25 | B | United States vs. Zambia | Nice Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 28 | C | Brazil vs. Japan | Parc des Princes | 5 p.m. |
| July 28 | A | New Zealand vs. Colombia | Lyon Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 28 | C | Spain vs. Nigeria | La Beaujoire Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 28 | B | Australia vs. Zambia | Nice Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 28 | A | France vs. Canada | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 28 | B | United States vs. Germany | Marseille Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 31 | C | Japan vs. Nigeria | La Beaujoire Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 31 | C | Brazil vs. Spain | Bordeaux Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| July 31 | B | Zambia vs. Germany | Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 31 | B | Australia vs. United States | Marseille Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| July 31 | A | New Zealand vs. France | Lyon Stadium | 9 p.m. |
| July 31 | A | Colombia vs. Canada | Nice Stadium | 9 p.m. |
Quarterfinal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 3 | Group B winner vs. Group C runner-up | Parc des Princes | 3 p.m. |
| August 3 | Group C winner vs. 3rd place Group A/B | Lyon Stadium | 5 p.m. |
| August 3 | Group A runner-up vs. Group B runner-up | Marseille Stadium | 7 p.m. |
| August 3 | Group A winner vs. 3rd place Group B/C | La Beaujoire Stadium | 9 p.m. |
Semifinal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 6 | Winner Quarterfinal 2 vs. Winner Quarterfinal 4 | Lyon Stadium | 6 p.m. |
| August 6 | Winner Quarterfinal 1 vs. Winner Quarterfinal 3 | Marseille Stadium | 9 p.m. |
Bronze Medal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 9 | Bronze Medal Match | Lyon Stadium | 3 p.m. |
Gold Medal
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (local) |
|---|
| August 10 | Gold Medal Match | Parc des Princes | 5 p.m. |
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