Paris Olympics 2024: Men's football - Teams, players, schedule, gold medal contenders and betting tips

Football was introduced to the Olympics in 1900 and has been a regular feature ever since.

The 2024 tournament kicks off on Wednesday, July 24 as scores of familiar faces take to the field to battle it out.

 

Which football teams qualified for the Paris Olympics?

The tournament consists of four groups of four qualifiers, including Argentina, who qualified ahead of 2020 gold medal winners Brazil.

Group A: France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine

Group C: Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Uzbekistan

Group D: Paraguay, Mali, Israel, Japan

 

Who are the star players at the Paris Olympics?

Male teams are largely limited to selecting players under the age of 23, but there’s still a talented crop of players appearing at this year’s tournament.

Man City’s Julian Alvarez, alongside teammates Nicolas Otamendi, Geronimo Rulli and Thiago Almada, could become the first team to win the World Cup, Copa America and Olympic gold.

There are also two European Championship winners representing their country in the form of Spain’s Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena.

Alexandre Lacazette, Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Rayan Cherki will feature for France.

Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Naby Keita of Guinea are the standout players from the African nations competing in Paris.

 

When will football matches kick off at the Olympics?

Group stage matches will kick off at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm BST on the 24th, 27th and 30th of July. All matches are available to watch via the BBC. The full schedule is below:

Argentina vs Morocco - 2pm BST, 24 July

Uzbekistan vs Spain - 2pm BST, 24 July

Egypt vs Dominican Republic - 4pm BST, 24 July

Guinea vs New Zealand - 4pm BST, 24 July

Iraq vs Ukraine - 6pm BST, 24 July

Japan vs Paraguay - 6pm BST, 24 July

France vs USA - 8pm BST, 24 July

Mali vs Israel - 8pm BST, 24 July

 

Who will win the men’s football gold medal?

Thierry Henry's France are the favourites to win the tournament at an average price of 2/1, but they’ll face stiff competition from Spain and Argentina, both of whom are around the 3/1 mark.

Just as they did at the last World Cup, Morocco will fly the flag for Africa by escaping Group B and putting on a good show. They have the potential to cause an upset if the big three falter.

 

Tips for the Paris Olympics 2024 men’s football

It’s hard to bet against the home nation not just because of the backing they have, but they also have the highest number of players who play at the highest level.

Tournament winner: France

If we’re assuming that France will go all the way, there are several candidates for the Golden Boot. Lacazette is the favourite, but you shouldn’t overlook Mateta’s form, as the big man finished the season on fire for Crystal Palace.

Top goalscorer: Jean-Philippe Mateta

We like the idea of betting on Group D because it’s a coin toss. Paraguay are favourites, but even rank outsiders Israel stand a chance. However, Japanese teams are always tenacious, and their work rate may get them over the line at 2/1.

Group tip: Japan to win Group D