The Men’s soccer tournament at the Summer Olympics can be seen as a spotlight for the next
generation of stars on the pitch. FIFA has strong-armed their will on the competition over the
years, leading to the currency requirements for the men’s tournament. Squads must be
composed of players under 23 years of age, with three over agers allowed. This is all in order to
avoid competition with the World Cup and has led to strong men’s national teams having less
than impressive Olympic records. Heading into this year’s iteration at the Games is guaranteed
to see a new gold medalist. After finishing at the top of the podium in each of the last two
Summer Games, Brazil failed to qualify for Paris 2024. With that in mind, the field is wide open
with no clear favorite this summer but there are a few squads to keep an eye on.
France (+250)
It’s been a long 40 years since Les Bleuets held Olympic gold on the pitch but they’re looking to
bump the slump at home and do it in incredible fashion. Despite Real Madrid refusing to allow
Kylian Mbappe to compete at the Olympics, France is still packed with talent.
Backed by one of the country’s all-time greats in Thierry Henry as their manager, the 25-man
preliminary roster includes Premier League stars in Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Not
to be outdone are the addition of PSG’s Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery. With just a
single overage slot remaining, thanks to Mateta and the inclusion of Alexandre Lacazette, Henry
may still have a trick up his sleeve.
Argentina (+275)
The reigning World Cup champions are looking to add another accolade to their ever growing
trophy case. With their last trip to the top of the podium being in 2008 thanks to a squad that
included the likes of Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, there are a number of players who have
drawn attention at club level.
While Messi has confirmed that he will not be one of the overage players participating in this
year’s games, the team does have a connection to Argentina’s all-time leading scorer. La
Albiceleste is now under the watchful eye of Javier Mascherano who was a member of both the
2004 and 2008 Olympic squads that won gold and will be pressing hard to complete the hattrick.
Spain (+300)
Spain was the runner up in Brazil’s victory in Tokyo at the last Olympics but are looking to be the
bridesmaids no more. In a group that consists of Uzbekistan, Egypt and the Dominican
Republic, Spain is definitely the front runners to make it out at the top of Group C. La Roja are
looking for the next generation to take that next step. Between young studs like 17-year-old Pau
Cubarsi and a young veteran like Nico Williams, the future is bright for Spain.
France +250
Argentina +275
Spain +300
Morocco +1000
Ukraine +1800
Paraguay +2000
USA +2000
Egypt +2500
Japan +3300
Mali +3300
Israel +4000
Guinea +5000
Uzbekistan +10000
Iraq +10000
New Zealand +15000
Dominican Republic +25000