Paris 2024: Your men's football preview
The Olympics are the greatest time for the world’s resident armchair experts. Louie Cina has your ultimate guide to the rather unconventional men’s football tournament in Paris.
It's already been a winter for football fans to savour.
Wembley Stadium played host to Real Madrid’s historic fifteenth Champions League win before the sporting world’s eyes shifted to Germany as the Euros began. This was followed shortly by the Copa America in the US and the lesser-known but amazingly chaotic OFC Nation’s Cup in Vanuatu and Fiji. But with all of the continental competitions done, fans can turn their attention to two of world football’s more unconventional tournaments, the Olympics.
How does football at the Olympics work?
In short, football at the Olympics sees 18 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams battle it out for medals.
That’s interesting, but why is this tournament unusual?
Well, let’s start with the basics.
The men’s tournament has a unique rule: the 18-man squad must be composed of at least 15 players under 23 or younger, with 3 overage players. This rule is the only age cap in any Olympic sport.
The Women’s tournament doesn’t feature these age restrictions, but like the men’s squads are limited to 18 athletes, both very unconventional and a far cry from the 23 permitted at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Qualification can also be very different from any other football tournament. Any FIFA-affiliated association is allowed to enter a squad into their respective qualifying tournament. These qualifiers often are pre-existing competitions, such as the Men’s U21 European Championship or the Copa América Femenina. The winner of these tournaments, and in some confederations, the runner-up and third-place team gain qualifications for the Olympics.
Football is also one of the incredibly rare sports that begins before the official opening ceremony.
Alright, so we know how it works and why it’s different, who’s competing?
We will cover the women’s competition in a separate article, but France automatically qualifies for both tournaments as hosts. They will be joined in the men’s competition by the USA, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Israel, Ukraine, Morocco, Egypt, Mali, Guinea, Paraguay, Argentina, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Japan, and New Zealand.
While that is an undoubtedly star-studded list, there are some very noticeable absentees.
Unbelievably, back-to-back defending champions Brazil failed to qualify. In Europe, Portugal, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands headline a long list of historically big footballing nations that won’t feature in Paris. Asian heavyweights South Korea and Australia both saw their campaigns end against Indonesia. This result for the Aussies seems a far cry from their well-publicised giant killing of Argentina during the Tokyo Games. In an incredibly confusingly turn of events, despite winning the Men’s U21 European Championship, England are ineligible to compete in the Olympics.
This is because they compete as part of Great Britain, and the football federations of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales feared that competing as Great Britain may jeopardise their ability to compete as independent nations in future FIFA and UEFA tournaments. Other nations that failed to qualify include Mexico, Belgium, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Uruguay.
Group A
France
Player to watch: Michael Olise
Olise, 22, comes into the tournament having completed a somewhat unexpected move to German Giants Bayern Munich after significant interest from Chelsea. The former Crystal Palace player has explosive pace which combines with his excellent technical ability, providing the French with a real weapon in the attacking part of the pitch that will be key to a lot they do.
Tournament outlook: France has named a very strong squad, with every player selected playing in one of Europe’s so-called “Top 5 leagues”. The French will expect to easily qualify from this group, being named the tournament’s favourite by the majority of bookmakers. Expect them to make a deep push into the knockout stage and to be in the hunt when medals are on the line.
USA
Player to watch: Walker Zimmerman
Zimmerman is one of the US’ s overage players, and at centreback, his role will be to provide a calm head and solidity to a team full of exciting talents. Zimmerman, who plays for Nashville in the MLS, will likely partner fellow overage player Miles Robinson as they look to form the base of the spine of the first US men’s Olympic football team since Beijing.
Tournament outlook: The US men’s team in their first Olympics in 16 years has been handed a fairly favourable group and should do enough to get out of it. From there, it's knockout football, and this team, full of exciting raw talent like Wolfburg’s Kevin Paredes and Venezia’s Tanner Tessman, certainly can shake things up. Expect them to give the medal favourites a run for their money, and don’t be surprised if they sneak into a decisive match towards the pointy end of the tournament.
Guinea
Player to watch: Naby Keita
A forgotten player in many ways, Naby Keita joins Guinea’s squad as one of their 3 overage players and will captain the team during the tournament. Keita showed during his time in Leipzig, Salzburg, and Liverpool that he can singlehandedly break a game open and his passing and work rate will be key to Guinea if the 29-year-old manages to stay fit.
Tournament outlook: Guinea will consider themselves unlucky, their squad has players with the potential to do serious damage to any opposition, but they undoubtedly have a challenging group. Finishing higher than the US and France will be very hard, but a result against either will give them a lot of belief. Whilst it looks unlikely that they’ll progress past the group, they certainly won’t be pushovers and expect them to give the favourites a challenging match.
New Zealand
Player to watch: Alex Paulsen
There are lots of Kiwis vying for this title, but Bournemouth’s new shot-stopper just edges them. Paulsen was nothing short of brilliant for Wellington Phoenix in 23/24, earning his English move after being named Goalkeeper and Young Player of the Year in the A-League men’s. Fresh off a first senior All-Whites cap, his distribution and reactions will be one of New Zealand’s biggest strengths in a hard group.
Tournament outlook: Players like Ben Waine, Sarpreet Singh, Joe Bell, and Michael Boxall have experience in a non-domestic league and other players certainly have the talent and flair required. That being said, it will be nearly impossible for the Kiwis to do much in this group. The relatively low level of skill in the A-League won’t do the OlyWhites any favours as they come up against two of the tournament’s favourites in the US and France. A result against Guinea would be a huge achievement.
Group A prediction: On paper, this group is relatively easy to predict but the order of games poses some interesting possibilities. Expect France to have too much quality for everyone else and both the US and Guinea should be able to brush past New Zealand. This leaves us with a match day 3 showdown between Guinea and the US that will likely determine who advances. The US will be prepared and should have enough talent to just see off their opponents.
France - 9
USA - 6
Guinea - 3
New Zealand - 0
Group B
Argentina
Player to watch: Claudio Echeverri
In a squad featuring four World Cup Winners, having an 18-year-old as the player to watch seems crazy. Echeverri is no ordinary 18-year-old and in a summer dominated by young stars like Lamine Yamal and Kendry Páez, the player nicknamed ‘El Diablito’ or ‘Little Devil’ will look to make a serious splash. Expect his explosive pace, “devilish” dribbling, and powerful shooting to cause serious problems for opponents as the teenager looks to seize his first chance on the big stage.
Tournament outlook: Fresh off the senior men’s team winning the Copa América, Argentinian fans should have plenty to cheer about during the Olympics with this side tipped to make a deep run. Geronimo Rulli, Nicholas Otamendi, Thiago Almada, and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez all come into the squad after tasting the ultimate glory in Qatar a little over a year ago and several of their youngsters are very highly touted. Expect the Argentinians to win the group and be in the conversation when medals are on the line.
Morocco
Player to watch: Achraf Hakimi
Who else could it possibly be? At just 25, Hakimi is central to everything that his club PSG and the Morocco senior side do. One of the best fullbacks in the world, his passing, pace, and physicality will prove invaluable alongside the wealth of experience he brings from his time in France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. He will be Morocco’s talisman.
Tournament outlook: It’s hard to figure out if Morocco is a good side or not. Their squad has a balanced mix of players based domestically and overseas and the experience of their overage players will undoubtedly help with the occasion of the tournament. If they get a result in their opening match against the Argentinians, watch out for them as they look to emulate the run their senior team made in the last World Cup. Ukraine will be their biggest problem, and that game will likely decide which team goes through in second place.
Iraq
Player to watch: Aymen Hussein
Coming to Paris as one of Iraq’s 3 overage players, Hussein has an impressive international record and finds himself 6th on the list of the nation’s all-time scorers for the senior men’s team. The well-travelled target man will provide some well-needed physicality going forward for Iraq, an asset that may end up being more useful than normal given the quality of the opponents in this group.
Tournament outlook: Just scrapping through qualification in third place, Iraq, unfortunately, looks set to be the whipping boys in this group. They’ll look to steal points off the much-fancied contenders although the fact that most of the squad plays their football domestically may lead to their opponent’s experience creating an unassailable gap in quality. They will have done very well if they succeed in taking points off any of the other teams in their group.
Ukraine
Player to watch: Danylo Sikan
Sikan will captain this exciting young Ukrainian team in Paris, and at just 23 is one of the oldest members of the squad. That’s not to say he’s inexperienced, making a name for himself as a prolific striker for Shakhtar Donetsk, earning 7 senior caps, and coming on as a substitute as Ukraine won the under-20 World Cup in 2019. His positioning and heading ability will be a real strength as Ukraine look to advance from the group.
Tournament Outlook: Ukraine could do anything in this tournament. Despite being a side based almost entirely domestically, the nation’s ability to churn out talented youngsters in recent years should not be forgotten. In their first Olympics, this Ukrainian squad will be looking to emulate their form from the European U21 Championship as they made their way to the semi-finals. They certainly can make it out of the group and cause problems for teams in the knockouts, a definite dark horse pick.
Group B prediction: Argentina’s quality and star power should be enough for them to qualify comfortably. Don’t be surprised if Ukraine can earn a result on Match Day 3 against what will most likely be a second-string Argentinian side if they’ve already wrapped up qualification by then. If Morocco manages to retain a mathematical chance to advance going into Match Day 3, they will be favourites as they play Iraq. Remaining in contention could be easier said than done with their opening two games coming against Argentina and Ukraine.
Argentina: 7
Ukraine: 5
Morocco: 4
Iraq: 0
Group C
Uzbekistan
Player to watch: Eldor Shomurodov
The captain of the senior national team, the versatile attacker known as the “Uzbek Messi” will bring a myriad of experience to what is already considered one of the best youth teams in Asia. Shomurodov has excellent game smarts and is dynamic both in the air and with his passing. Expect him to be involved in most Uzbek moves.
Tournament outlook: Uzbekistan has a good chance to advance out of the group in the nation’s first Olympic football appearance male or female. Having won the 2018 u-23 Asian Cup and finishing as runners-up in two of the next three tournaments, the Uzbeks have some pedigree in Asian youth football. For a squad-based almost entirely in central Asia, experience may be a sticking point. That being said, young guns Abbosbek Fayzullaev and Abdukodir Khusanov are already established members of the senior side and players like Oston Urunov and Husniddin Aliquov will look to act as the calm heads that this exciting young team need to stay grounded.
Spain
Player to watch: Álex Baena
Spain has a very solid squad, and this position could have gone to several players, but Villareal’s Álex Baena takes it. Baena incredibly led La Liga for assists in his second season at just 22 and this form saw him rewarded with a senior call-up. Though he featured for just 25 minutes at the Euros, becoming a European Champion so young will likely have given him a great winning mentality that has the potential to lift the Olympic team. His right foot is a wand, and he’ll be controlling the attacking side of a Spainish team that will be a serious force to be reckoned with.
Tournament outlook: Spain is easily the best team in Group C. They should have no problems disposing of their opponents. After finishing runners-up to England in the most recent u21s European Championship, and their senior team winning the Euros, this team will be hungry to continue the nation’s long tradition of strong showings at the youth level. They will push far into the tournament, but a slightly weaker squad than the one they took to Tokyo may see this team struggle in the latter stages.
Egypt
Player to watch: Mohamed Elnenny
Elnenny is one of those players who it feels like has been playing for forever. Perhaps this is due in part to his nearly 10-year stint at Arsenal and his century of caps for his country before his 32nd birthday. Currently uncontracted, the midfielder will bring a wealth of experience from his time in Europe, which alongside intelligent reading of play and a tireless work rate, will be crucial in ensuring that this heavily domestically based team makes it out of the groups as they are predicted to do.
Tournament outlook: Egypt’s youth teams of late have been solid at a continental level. They’re dogged defensively, keeping clean sheets in each of their games in their run to the most recent AFCON u23 final. This defensive discipline will be the key to their success, as the only two out-and-out forwards selected have a combined 23 senior goals between them. Whilst Egypt likely intends to win games in defence, their lack of tried and tested attacking options may be their undoing and they may struggle in a race for 2nd place with an exciting Uzbekistan.
Dominican Republic
Player to watch: Junior Firpo
For most people, Firpo is the only immediately recognisable name in the Dominican Republic’s squad. The former Barcelona player had a good season, declaring for the nation of his birth and establishing himself as Leeds United’s first choice left-back. He’ll be key to the Dominican Republic, with experience against some of the world’s best, including a Champions League appearance where he got the better of Kylian Mbappé.
Tournament outlook: Things look very bleak for the Caribbean’s only team. They shocked the footballing world in 2022, making the final of the CONCACAF u-20 championship but they were thrashed by the USA in the final and it seems unlikely that they’ll stand much of a chance against three strong teams. Scoring would be a good result for the Dominican Republic and if they manage that whilst keeping the match tight, there’s every chance they could win the nation’s first-ever points in Olympic football.
Group C prediction: This is going to be a fun group. Spain should win without any significant challenges, and the Dominican Republic will likely go out without much of a fight. The battle for second will be fascinating however with Egypt and Uzbekistan looking the most likely to contest it. Egypt historically has been much better, but don’t write off this exciting Uzbekistan side. Match Day 1’s meeting between the nations will be a good watch and may just dictate who goes through in a game where Uzbekistan’s balance of experienced heads and raw talent may just see the country advance out of the group in its maiden Olympic campaign.
Spain 7
Uzbekistan 6
Egypt 4
Dominican Republic 0
Group D
Japan
Player to watch: Joel Chima Fujita
Fujita is one of three members of this squad who plays for Belgian club Sint-Truiden and this experience will be very important, with Japan opting not to select any overage players. Alongside this, he’s captained the nation at underage level and has received two senior caps. Fresh off a Player of the Tournament performance in the u23 Asian Cup, Fujita’s creativity, reading of play, and passing will be key to Japan’s fluidity in attack.
Tournament outlook: Japan will hope to replicate their form from Tokyo, where they had a perfect group stage. This may be a little harder in Tokyo, with the Japanese Football Association reportedly struggling to get clubs to agree to release their players for Olympic duty. As inexperienced as their roster is, they still enter the group being tipped to make the knockouts. Despite this, it's hard to see the team making a serious push for medals, although the heartbreak of narrowly missing out in a home Olympics may give this team the drive to go the extra mile.
Paraguay
Player to watch: Julio Enciso
The Brighton starlet initially found himself selected for the preliminary squad, only to cut for the final 18-man roster but an injury to Fabrizio Peralta has seen him rejoin the medal push in Paris. Coming off an injury-plagued season himself, Enciso will look to provide creativity from attacking midfield or the wing. His quality is evident, and he can produce it against the best in the business as he’s shown in the Premier League where he’s got a Goal of the Month award under his belt at just 20.
Tournament outlook: Paraguay will be bullish about their chances here and could very well be dark horses. They are coming into the Olympics off a very strong performance in the South American qualifying tournament which they won over regional and global heavyweight Brazil and Argentina. Paraguay enters their third Olympic campaign having never failed to reach the knockout stage, a record they’ll look to maintain and should manage to thanks to an exciting squad anchored by veterans Fabián Balbuena in defence and Roberto Fenández between the sticks. It will be an impressive feat if they can replicate or better their best finish of a silver medal in Athens.
Mali
Player to watch: Boubacar Traoré
Mali has several players who delivered standout performances in their dramatic qualifying campaign, but Traoré’s ceiling and Premier League experience see him edge past his teammates to claim this accolade. Traoré earned his stripes in France, before moving to England via Wolves on a loan move that would become permanent despite a challenging debut season for the Midlands club. He is ranked in the top percentile for tackles in the Premier League and has received praise for his successful takes and shot taking ability. A real raw talent, he’ll look to perform well in Paris and try to catch the eye of Wolves boss Gary O’Neil and the yet-to-be-announced manager of Mali’s senior side.
Tournament outlook: Mali, like all these teams, will be happy with this group. This will be their first Olympics in two decades, and they’ll hope to repeat their stunning 2004 run that saw them make the quarterfinals. They are one of three teams alongside Egypt and Uzbekistan to not include any teenagers in their squad. In a fairly evenly matched group, Mali will be hoping to use this slight age gap to their advantage. Japan and Paraguay are favoured to advance but don’t write off this Mali side. They certainly believe they can do it with Malian sports minister Abdoul Kassim Ibrahim Fomba suggesting that the nation’s qualification “is tangible proof that the longed-for vision of a new Mali is on the way to a triumphant reality” and that they have every intention to compete for medals, not just make up numbers.
Israel
Player to watch: Liel Abada
Up until the 18th of July, Bayern Munich number two Daniel Peretz held this spot, but an injury has forced him to pull out of the tournament, leaving Liel Abada as the player to watch. Abada burst onto the scene as a teenager, earning a move to Scottish giants Celtic where he won Young Player of the Year in Scotland and was named by UEFA as one of the players who could “take European football by storm”. After a 23/24 season impacted by injury and events off the pitch, the winger signed with MLS team Charlotte FC and will be looking to use the Paris games as a springboard to restart his development.
Tournament outlook: While group D is the easiest on paper, Israel’s chances don’t look overly positive. It’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room, and there are still loud calls for Israel to be banned from the games in Paris due to their conduct in Gaza. Despite this, IOC President Thomas Bach has affirmed that the organisers’ stance is that they will compete “no question about it”. The IOC won’t deliver sanctions, but individual teams may heed the calls of the Jordanian Football Association for the international community to “take a clear and explicit stance” and isolate Israel from the international sporting community. Even if all their games happen, Israel is unlikely to advance, after barely scraping their way into their first Olympics in nearly 50 years. If they manage a result in their opening game against Mali though, anything is possible.
Group D prediction: This group will likely be a very tight three-horse race for the knockout stage. Mali will hope not only to make a positive start on Match Day 1 but for Japan and Paraguay’s match to end in a draw. Depending on results, Paraguay’s game against Israel on Match Day 2 may effectively be a knockout game for the South Americans. If they do manage a win and Mali can get a result against Japan, the Young Samurai Blue will be in some serious trouble heading into the final day of group games. Still, Japan’s quality should see them edge Israel on the last day and tighten up results. Given how close this group looks set to be, goal difference could prove a decisive factor.
Japan: 5
Paraguay: 4
Mali: 2
Israel: 1
The men’s football tournament will be, as it always is, a beautifully chaotic display of skill, raw talent, and potential.
Several players have used the Olympics to burst onto the scene in the past, and there’s every chance that this is our first introduction to the household names of tomorrow. It’s going to be tight, exciting, and brilliant, filled with dark horses, future heroes and perhaps even some spectacular upsets.
Ultimately, I believe that France, on home soil, will win their first gold in Men’s football since 1984, prevailing over a determined Argentina in the final. Spain claims the bronze, beating the US who will send a warning to the world about the next generation of talent that they’re fostering. As ever though, football is beautifully unpredictable and that’s exactly why we love it! Happy watching!
Very well written