Men and women Team around the world compete against each other and play their hearts out for their place in one of the most prestigious sporting event of all time: The Paris 2024 Olympics. The 2024 Olympic football qualifiers is going to be a captivating showcase of the future and veterans alike. Now, let’s analyze the multiple routes into qualification, the continental tournaments, the all-important playoff games, and a deep dive into the squads that qualified for the Olympics.
These are a result of the unique structure and history of each gender’s competition; the men’s and women’s Olympic football tournaments are due to the pathways to qualification being significantly distinct.
The event is primarily for men’s under-23 teams, but each squad are allowed to include a limited number of over-age players. Qualification for Paris 2024 will be contested at a series of continental qualifying tournaments, with the allocated places for each region determined by historical results and FIFA rankings.
There is a different method to women’s qualifications. There is no upper age limit for the players, as there is in the men’s tournament. To qualify your team for the Olympics you have to play the regional championships and tourneys for the continent you are on. And nations have not been taking it easy, fielding full-strength squads battling it out for a place in Paris.
Continental Championships
Olympic football tournaments are determined through a continental championship process. The regional FFSA and Collard-Locante challenges are also usually strong contests and will provide very good opportunities for the top young drivers from each of the continents to play on a level footing.
The AFC U-23 Championship serves as the Olympic qualification tournament in men’s football for the Asian zone. This is a tournament which confirms a place in the Olympics for the top teams and brings the young talent in abundance of the continent.
The U-20 Championship is the defining final tournament for men’s U-20 teams in the CONCACAF region. York said: “The pressure is on from day one, where more than 500 teams battle it out across intense matches and high stakes to earn their place in Paris.
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship is Europe’s qualifying tournament for the men’s Olympic football tournament. The final phase of qualifying is for the elite teams making it difficult to see how anyone could get through but it is a display of how much talent is in European football.
The CAF U-23 Championship in Africa, the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in South America and the OFC Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Oceania play similar roles.
Playoff Matches
Play-off matches take place to determine the teams that qualify for the Olympic football tournaments in addition to the continental championships. They are usually among the go-to matches which ultimately serve as make-or-break fixtures for the teams depicting a great deal of suspense and drama.
The playoff matches could settle the last few positions in the men’s tournament. These are instant-elimination games for the teams that didn’t quite make it in their regional championships, as two can move on to France from this stage and they will be locked in by today.
The women’s playoff matches will be in the same vein, offering one last hope for teams to make the grade. Countries leave nothing on the planet to qualify for the Olympics in these matches
In-Depth Team Profiles
Whilst the qualifying tournaments go on, several teams have already qualified for the Olympic football tournaments. Teams Who Have Qualified (so far):
Men’s Tournament
France, who are automatically qualified due to being hosts;
Japan: AFC U-23 Championship Qualification
Brazil: Qualified from CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament
Spain: Qualified via their UEFA European U21 Championship ranking.
Argentina: CONMEBOL – Pre-Olympic Tournament
Women’s Tournament
United States: Qualified as CONCACAF Women’s Championship winner.
Brazil: Secured a berth across the group stage at the CONMEBOL Women’s Pre-Olympic Tournament.
Japan Qualified through AFC Women’s Asian Cup
France: Automatically qualified as hosts.
Teams in Contention
Although some have qualified for the Finals, others are still battling it out in qualifying tournaments. There are battles being waged further up the table in the race to get to Paris, and the fixtures remaining for each side could paint a picture of a potential scenario.
Men’s Tournament Contenders
South Korea: Participating in AFC U-23 Championship
Mexico: An Existential Struggle to Secure a Place in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship – WordPress – Squarespace
GOAL Germany Looking to clinch automatic qualification through the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Women’s Tournament Contenders
Canada –Pan Am Games, CONCACAF Women’s Championship
Australia – Qualify by finishing 1st or 2nd in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup
Nigeria- Hoping to book a CAF Women’s Championship ticket to Canada.
Key Players
On the qualification journey, big players within all team have contributed vastly to their teams. It may help you to realize these key players have either carried their teams into medal contention or stand as the key investing figures in the Olympics.
Men’s Key Players
Takefusa Kubo (Japan): Star of the Show in AFC U-23 Championship, a midfielder with outstanding abilities
Gabriel Martinelli (Brazil)Brazil owe a large part of their path to the qualification to Martinelli’s goals.
Pedri (Spain): The teenage midfielder has been central to Spain’s passage to the UEFA European U21 Championship.
Women’s Key Players
Megan Rapinoe (United States) For many, the world rank No 1 forwardtle inside the host nation USWNT.
Sam Kerr (Australia): The goalscoring striker was crucial for Australia during the qualification campaigns.
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands) The forward’s goals have helped Netherlands in their qualification campaign
Schedule of Qualifications and Results
Fans who want to follow the Olympic football qualifiers need to stay informed of the qualification schedule and results. Key fixtures and dates
July 15, 2023 | 2019 AFC U-23 Championship Semi-Finals
CONCACAF U-20 ChampionshipFinalAugust 9, 2023
UEFA European Under-21 Championship Playoffs – September 2023Prem (4 of 6)
CAF Women’s Championship Final : 2023 October
It’s a pivotal moment for the last countries to punch their ticket to the Olympic football tournaments, an aggressive battle leading up to Paris.
Historical Context
Turn the clock back to previous editions of the Olympic football qualifiers and some pertinent context emerges from the numerous upsets.
Some countries have historically been key players in the Olympic football qualifiers, with a history of not only qualifying in great numbers and often having a good record in the tournament. Countries like Brazil and Argentina qualify pretty much every time for the men’s tournament, and consistent contenders in the women’s tournament include the United States and Germany.
There are only so many of these underdog teams that can sneak through and make the Olympics like this and there have been some very memorable ones over the years. Take the Nigerian men at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, for example, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history by winning the gold medal. These kind of surprises also add to the interest in the qualifiers as well with the element of the unknown.
