Men's football gold medal returns to Europe
Europe has dominated Olympic men's football throughout history, but surprisingly, over the past 30 years, the continent's football has failed to win a gold medal, until the 2024 Paris Olympics, when France meets Spain in the final.
The last European team to win a Gold Medal in men's football was Spain. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics held on home soil, Spain defeated Poland 3-2 to win their first and so far only Olympic Gold Medal.
But since Spain won glory on home soil 32 years ago, European football has seen teams from three different continents win gold medals. Brazil and Argentina have both won two gold medals, both consecutively. Brazil are the champions of the last two Olympics (2016, 2020), while Argentina won back-to-back gold medals in 2004 and 2008.
Even African teams have won back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals with Nigeria in Atlanta 1996 and Cameroon in Sydney 2000. The only other Olympic champion in the period of European football's "thirsty" Olympic gold was Mexico, a team from CONCACAF, in London 2012.
Before this disappointing period, however, Europe had no real rival in Olympic men's football. Since Uruguay won back-to-back titles in 1924 and 1928 (1932 was not held), European teams had won 13 consecutive gold medals, most recently Spain's glory in 1992.
Hungary (1952, 1964, 1968) and Great Britain (1900, 1908, 1912) currently hold the record for most Olympic men's football gold medals with three each. Teams with two gold medals are Brazil (2016, 2020), Argentina (2004, 2008), the Soviet Union (1956, 1988) and Uruguay (1924, 1928), while 13 other teams have won the title once.
Since 1992, men's Olympic players have had to be under 23, and since 1996, each team has been allowed a maximum of three players over 23. African nations have taken advantage of this, with Nigeria and Cameroon winning in 1996 and 2000 respectively.
Due to the unusual format and the separation from the main national teams that participate in the World Cup and the top continental tournaments, the historically strong men's national teams have a poor Olympic record. Uruguay, who won the tournament twice in 1924 and 1928, only qualified again in 2012, after an 84-year absence.
Brazil's silver medals in the 1984, 1988 and 2012 Olympics were their best results until the gold in 2016. Italy, meanwhile, has only won the Olympic title once. France won the Olympic title in 1984, but have only qualified for the tournament twice since./.