Scramble for Olympics Football Gold Heightens
With six days to the kickoff of the Olympics football event and as participating countries try to outwit each other for the gold medal, here is taking a look at the best men’s players taking part in Paris Games
2024 Olympics
While the European Championships and Copa America are now on hiatus for another four years, a spectacular summer of football continues with the imminent men’s and women’s Paris 2024 Olympics competitions.
From July 24 to August 10, 16 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams will be gunning for gold in the French capital, where Brazil are the reigning champions in the male event, while Canada triumphed in the women’s competition at Tokyo 2020.
The latter nation are set to defend their gold medal in Paris, but there will be a new set of Olympic kings crowned next month, as Brazil failed to qualify for the 2024 Games.
For all 16 men’s teams, managers can only select three players over the age of 23, but the women’s competition is not burdened by such restrictions, and here, Sports Mole picks out the best male and female footballers competing at this year’s Olympics.
Nicolas Otamendi (Argentina)
The oldest male footballer taking part in the Paris Games at 36 years of age, Nicolas Otamendi sports the captain’s armband for Argentina on the back of helping the reigning Copa America champions defend their continental crown this summer.
Otamendi started just one of La Albiceleste’s matches en route to Copa glory, though, as Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez have ousted the ageing former Manchester City man from the Argentina XI, but he is still going strong for Portuguese giants Benfica.
Also a World Cup winner with his nation in 2022, Otamendi has won 117 caps for his nation and will be making his Olympics debut this summer, which could prove a fitting end to a glittering international career.
Thiago Almada (Argentina)
At the other end of the Argentina experience scale, 23-year-old playmaker Thiago Almada was also a member of the Albiceleste’s triumphant 2022 World Cup-winning team in Qatar, becoming the first-ever MLS player to win the tournament.
Almada’s World Cup success came before an exceptional 2023 MLS season with Atlanta United, where he had a direct hand in 28 goals in 33 matches – 12 of his own and 16 assists – helping his side reach the MLS Cup playoffs.
The 23-year-old heads to Paris just a couple of weeks on from switching allegiances to Brazilian side Botafogo, and he made two appearances for Argentina at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, albeit while totalling just 21 minutes; expect him to play a more prominent role this time around.
Castello Lukeba (France)
One of the jewels in the France crown, 21-year-old RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba makes a swift return to his homeland after leaving Lyon for the Bundesliga last year, quickly making his mark at the Red Bull Arena. Lukeba turned out 41 times for Die Roten Bullen in the 2023-24 season, coming up with one goal in the Bundesliga and also starting seven Champions League matches as Leipzig reached the last 16 before losing to eventual winners Real Madrid.
Capped at senior international level for the first time in October 2023, Lukeba ultimately failed to do enough for Euro 2024 selection but could put himself in the shop window once again in Paris amid reported interest from Chelsea.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (France)
The renaissance of Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta was one of the most unexpected success stories in the second half of the 2023-24 Premier League season, as the Frenchman blossomed under the wing of new boss Oliver Glasner.
The Eagles’ lack of a true threat in the number nine role had plagued them for some time – neither Mateta nor Odsonne Edouard were cutting the mustard on a consistent basis – but the former notched an exceptional 13 goals in his last 13 games of the season.
A final-day hat-trick against Aston Villa punched Mateta’s ticket to his first Olympics, where he will be one of three overage players in Thierry Henry’s selection along with his potential strike partner – see below.
Alexandre Lacazette (France) Donning the captain’s armband for France at their home Olympics, 33-year-old Alexandre Lacazette shoulders a huge burden for the Games hosts this summer, as Henry’s men are no doubt one of the favourites for the gold medal.
The ex-Arsenal man lost his golden touch during his final two years at the Emirates but remains as clinical as ever in Ligue 1, underscored by 46 goals in 64 top-flight matches since rejoining Lyon from the Gunners in the summer of 2022.
Lacazette was restricted to a mere 16 appearances for France during his senior international career, having never truly won over Didier Deschamps, but the stage is set for the Bleus captain to continue making French nets ripple for fun
Alex Baena (Spain)
From ruthless finishers to prolific playmakers, there is no respite for Alex Baena of Spain, as the Villarreal midfielder was part of La Roja’s triumphant Euro 2024-winning team, although he played just 25 minutes of his country’s run to glory. The 22-year-old will expect to act as Spain’s creator-in-chief at the Olympics, though, having registered a staggering 14 assists in 34 La Liga matches in the 2023-24 campaign, the joint-most of any player alongside Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.
Baena was rewarded for his rise with a new contract at Villarreal until 2028 last year, although he made headlines for the wrong reasons when he allegedly made a comment about the unborn child of Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde – which he denied – leading the Uruguayan to purportedly throw a punch at him in a car park.
Pau Cubarsi (Spain)
While the men’s Olympic tournament often provides a platform for previously unheralded young talents to make their mark, 17-year-old Spain defender Pau Cubarsi – the youngest player in the male event – has already done that and then some.
The 2007-born centre-back quickly earned the trust of Xavi last season and turned out 24 times for the senior Barcelona team in all tournaments, earning rave reviews for his assured rearguard displays well beyond his years. Now protected by a €500m (£420m) release clause in his new Barcelona contract, Cubarsi just missed out on selection for Euro 2024 but could now return to Catalonia with an Olympic medal around his neck.
Michael Olise (France )
A name best not mentioned in the presence of Chelsea supporters, the tricky Michael Olise snubbed the Blues twice in the transfer market, once to sign a new contract with Crystal Palace and again to join German giants Bayern Munich for £44.6m this summer.
The 22-year-old earned his marquee move to the Allianz Arena on the back of contributing 10 goals and six assists from 19 Premier League matches in an injury-hit 2023-24 season; let us not forget he was donning the colours of crisis club Reading a little over three years ago.
Still eligible to represent France or England at international level, the winger has warmed up for the Olympics in scintillating fashion with three goals in three games for the Under-23s, including a fabulous 20-yard curler against Japan on Wednesday night.
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco )
A panenka penalty to send Morocco into the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals may have been the previous zenith of Achraf Hakimi’s international career, but an Olympic medal would surely top that cheeky chip.
Still regarded as one of the best full-backs on the planet, Hakimi was responsible for five goals and seven assists for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023-24 season after helping Morocco become the first African nation in history to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
A year and a half later, the Madrid-born defender sports his country’s armband at the Paris Olympics, where the weight of expectation will fall even heavier on his shoulders given that he is competing in familiar surroundings.
Julian Alvarez (Argentina)
Another player quickly hopping from one major international tournament to another, Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez jets off to France after netting twice during Argentina’s run to Copa America supremacy, including in the semi-final win over Canada.
The 24-year-old – who has been heavily linked with a summer transfer away from the Premier League champions – also completed 97 minutes of the victory over Colombia in the final, triggering concern over the possibility of burnout as his wait for a holiday goes on.
Alvarez is forced to play second fiddle to Erling Haaland at Man City, perhaps one of his motivations for a summer exit, but the former River Plate protege should be promoted from bridesmaid to bride at the Olympics.
