Paris Olympics: What to know and who to watch during the men's soccer competition
Crystal Palace's Michael Olise shoots a penalty kick to score during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Dec.16, 2023. Bayern Munich signed Olise on Sunday, July 7, 2024 in a search for “new ideas” after its first season without a trophy in 12 years. Credit: AP/Dave Thompson
A roadmap to follow for men's soccer during the Paris Olympics:
Athletes to Watch
—Michael Olise, France: After scoring 10 goals for Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, the thrilling forward was signed by German giant Bayern Munich. Born in London, he chose to represent France and is likely to become an important part of the senior team if he impresses at Bayern.
—Kevin Paredes, United States: USA's young player of the year in 2023 is gaining attention and has joined the likes of Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne by signing with Jay-Z's Roc Nation sports agency. Capable of playing at left back or as a winger, the Wolfsburg player already has broken through to the United States' senior national team.
—Claudio Echeverri, Argentina: The 18-year-old Echeverri's potential already has been spotted by Manchester City, and he will complete a move to the Premier League team ahead of next season. An attacking midfielder, he helped Argentina reach the semifinals of the U17 World Cup and could be one of the star players at the Olympics.
Storylines to Follow
—The U.S. men's national team is back at the Games for the first time since 2008. The Americans benefited from soccer's regional governing body CONCACAF deciding to make the 2022 edition of its Under-20 Championship a qualifying event for the Olympics. The U.S. won it for a third time in a row to book its place for Paris. It faces host nation France in its opening game of the tournament.
United States' Kevin Paredes dribbles the ball during a FIFA U-20 World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against Uruguay at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Sunday, June 4, 2023. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé won't be playing at the Paris Games but men’s Olympic soccer is more about emerging players than established stars. Credit: AP/Nicolas Aguilera
—Israel has waited even longer to make a return to the Games, having been absent since 1976. While that is a cause for celebration for the national team, there already have been calls from protestors in France for Israel’s participation to be limited because of the war in Gaza.
—World champion Argentina can add to a glorious era of success by winning gold in Paris. Argentina won the 2021 Copa America and then won the World Cup a year later in Qatar. It successfully defended the Copa America in the United States before the Games and Olympic gold would complete the set over a spectacular three-year period.
—The Olympics has produced unlikely gold medalists in men's soccer such as Nigeria and Cameroon. Will there be another surprise package in Paris? Perhaps Morocco, which finished a surprising fourth at the 2022 World Cup, will go on another run.
Key Dates
The tournament begins on July 24, with France taking on the United States and Argentina facing Morocco in the biggest games of the day. The final is on Aug. 9 at Parc des Princes in Paris.
Reigning Champion
Brazil (Did not qualify).
