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Euro 2024 and the Copa América may each be performed and dusted, however 2024’s grand summer season of soccer continues because the Olympic Games get underway in Paris.
As soon as once more, a FIFA-sanctioned soccer match will happen on the Video games with each men’s and women’s competitions set to kick off this week — on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
As per competitors guidelines, the lads’s match is predominantly restricted to under-23 gamers — although all international locations collaborating are allowed to incorporate as much as three designated overage gamers.
On the subject of the lads’s match, gold medal holders Brazil have did not qualify this time, although the likes of Argentina, France, Morocco and Spain have all seen match to pepper their picks with a dusting of notable overage stars.
In the meantime, Japan had been the one nation to determine to not embody any gamers above the age of 23. Certainly, all 22 of the Samurai Blue’s Olympic gamers had been born in 2001 or later.
We check out the older gamers to journey to France — so as of star high quality. And we’ll additionally spherical up a few of the largest names to stroll away with a gold medal from previous Video games.
Argentina
Julián Álvarez, Nicolás Otamendi, Gerónimo Rulli
Recent from efficiently lifting the Copa América for a sixteenth time, Argentina — coached at this match by former Liverpool and Barcelona star Javier Mascherano — have included three of the Albiceleste‘s victorious squad (their first match on the Olympics takes place simply 10 days after the ultimate of the Copa América) with striker Álvarez, defender Otamendi and goalkeeper Rulli.
At 36, Otamendi is the oldest participant collaborating within the males’s competitors, with the veteran Benfica centre-back roughly one month older than his closest challenger, Paraguay keeper Gaitito Fernandez.
France
Alexandre Lacazette, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Loïc Badé
Head coach Thierry Henry has picked fellow Arsenal alumni Lacazette to guide the road for France at their house Olympics as Les Bleus search to assert their first gold because the 1984 video games, which was staged in america.
Such is the battle for locations, Lacazette solely gained 16 caps for the France senior squad. Now 33, the Lyon participant will get an actual likelihood to make a mark for his nation.
Lacazette will doubtless be joined up entrance by Crystal Palace striker Mateta, whereas Sevilla defender Badé was referred to as into the squad this month as a late alternative for Maxime Estève, who withdrew by harm.
Spain
Sergio Gómez, Juan Miranda, Abel Ruiz
Buoyed by European Championship glory, Spain will probably be hoping to duplicate that success on the Summer time Olympics with head coach Santi Denia counting on Gomez (who moved from Manchester City to Real Sociedad earlier this month), Miranda (as soon as of Barcelona and who has simply joined Bologna) and workforce captain Ruiz (newly signed for Girona) as his trio of elders.
Nonetheless, Ruiz is the oldest participant of their squad on the age of 24 (and simply 9 days older than Miranda) so it is not like La Roja are precisely overburdened with veteran expertise.
Morocco
Achraf Hakimi, Munir El Kajoui, Soufiane Rahimi
The largest title in Morocco’s Oylmpic squad is undoubtedly workforce captain Hakimi, with the 25-year-old full-back counting himself as a four-time league title winner with Internazionale and, extra just lately, Paris Saint-Germain.
Munir, in the meantime, was Morocco’s backup goalkeeper on the World Cup in Qatar and performed the group stage recreation towards Belgium.
Egypt title two gamers, with Arsenal midfielder Elneny chosen as workforce captain. Their different overage participant is Ahmed “Zizo” Sayed, the 28-year-old striker who performs for Zamalek in his house nation.
Naby Keïta, Amadou Diawara, Abdoulaye Touré
Having certified for the lads’s Olympic match for the very first time, Guinea have drafted a full quote of overage gamers to make sure they can compete with their extra established opponents.
Previously of Liverpool, Keita has been bestowed with the captaincy and will probably be ably supported by Anderlecht midfielder Diawara and Toure, of Ligue 1 facet Le Havre.
Walker Zimmerman, Miles Robinson, Djordje Mihailovic
After crashing out of the Copa América as hosts within the group stage, the U.S. will little doubt be trying to do a lot better on the Summer time Olympics.
To that finish, Marko Mitrovic’s younger squad will probably be headed by captain Zimmerman of Nashville SC, together with FC Cincinnati centre-back Robinson and Colorado Rapids attacker Mihailovic, who all play usually in MLS.
Zimmerman has 42 caps for the complete USMNT workforce and performed in all 4 of their video games on the 2022 World Cup.
Junior Firpo, Luiyi de Lucas, Heinz Morschel
De Lucas, who has simply left Scotland’s Livingston for Cypriot membership AEL Limassol, is workforce captain and in addition the oldest member of the Dominican squad.
Firpo will probably be a reputation acquainted to followers of Barcelona and Leeds United, with the 27-year-old left-back having spent the previous 4 years at Elland Highway after shifting to England from Camp Nou.
Gatito Fernandez, Fabián Balbuena
The 36-year-old Fernández has performed virtually all his profession in South America, however Balbuena will probably be very well-known to followers of West Ham United having that includes in 54 Premier League video games for the west London membership.
Maksym Talovierov, Dmytro Kryskiv
Two gamers who solely simply go over the age restrict with Kryskiv enjoying his complete profession in Ukraine. Talovierov was a part of the senior squad at Euro 2024 and has 4 full caps.
Michael Boxall, Joe Bell, Sarpreet Singh
Boxall has spent the final seven years in MLS with Minnesota United FC and, on the age of 35, is among the most skilled gamers on the Olympics. He has 48 senior caps.
Attacker Singh, 25, performed eight video games for Bayern Munich in 2019-20 and is a free agent after leaving 2. Bundesliga membership Hansa Rostock this month.
Defensive midfielder Bell, 25, performs in Norway for Viking and has 16 senior caps.
Saad Natiq, Aymen Hussein, Ibrahim Bayesh
Iraq have named three gamers with numerous senior expertise, however who haven’t performed within the main leagues.
Natiq has 41 caps, with Hussein on 76 and Bayesh 52.
Daniel Peretz, Sean Goldberg, Omri Gandelman
Peretz, 24, is on the books of Bayern Munich, and performed two video games final season after becoming a member of the membership from Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Solely two overage gamers have been named who have not performed at a high-profile stage.
Khusniddin Alikulov, Eldor Shomurodov, Oston Urunov
Uzbekistan have stuffed their quota, with AS Roma ahead Shomurodov the most effective recognized participant. The 29-year-old, who has 40 objectives in 73 caps for the senior workforce, has additionally performed for Genoa, Spezia and Cagliari.
Well-known gamers who’ve gained gold
Whereas profitable the Summer time Olympic soccer match is not normally thought to be a “main” honour in footballing phrases, there have been many well-known names to have collected the gold medal.
The Argentina workforce that gained gold on the 2008 video games in Beijing contained a powerful record of prodigious younger expertise who all went onto massive issues — most notably Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Mascherano, Ever Banega, Ezeqiuel Lavezzi, Pablo Zabaleta and Ángel Di María.
Previous to that, the likes of Javier Saviola, Carlos Tevez, Fabricio Coloccini and Gabriel Heinze all gained gold with Argentina on the 2004 video games in Athens.
Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Rafinha and Marquinhos all gained gold with Brazil on the 2016 video games in Rio de Janeiro.
Additional again, a few of the largest names in soccer have all taken gold on the Olympics with Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, 2000), Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria, 1996) plus Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique with Spain on the Barcelona video games in 1992.
