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Alex Morgan Lionel Messi Sergio Aguero Olympics gold medalsGetty/GOAL composite
Ryan Kelly

Is soccer in the Olympics?

Is soccer in the Olympics? GOAL brings you everything you need to know about football and the Olympic games

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, with millions of people playing the game across the planet.

Known by many as 'The Beautiful Game', soccer as we know it today was invented in England in 1863. However, non-codified versions are understood to have even older roots stretching back to ancient times, with variations played in China, Greece and elsewhere.

So, given that it is so widespread, is soccer played in the Olympics? GOAL brings you everything you need to know.

  • Lionel Messi Argentina Olympics Getty

    Is soccer in the Olympics?

    Soccer (or football) is a sport that is contested at the Olympics, with competitions for the men's and women's games.

    Men's soccer has been a part of the Olympics since Paris 1900, featuring at every edition of the Games except for Los Angeles 1932. Women's soccer was first included in the Olympics at Atlanta 1996.

    The rules for women's soccer mirror those of any other senior FIFA international competition, but they vary slightly for the men's soccer competition, with players needing to be aged no more than 23 at the time of the tournament and a maximum of three overage players permitted in a squad.

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  • Lionel Messi Argentina vs Nigeria OlympicsGetty

    Do professional soccer players play in the Olympics?

    Professional soccer players are permitted to play in the Olympics and some of the biggest names in the sport have graced the tournament.

    Players such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Pep Guardiola have all won gold medals in the men's tournament, while notable gold medallists in the women's tournament include Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Julia Grosso.

  • Alex Morgan USWNT United States women's national team Olympics gold medalsGetty

    Who has the most Olympic gold medals for soccer?

    Men's soccer

    Hungary and Great Britain are the most successful nations in Olympics men's soccer with three gold-medal-winning teams each. However, their successes all came in the early and mid-20th century - Great Britain's golds were won in 1900, 1908 and 1912, while Hungary's came in 1952, 1964 and 1968.

    Brazil (2016, 2020), Argentina (2004, 2008), Uruguay (1924, 1928) and the Soviet Union (1956, 1988) follow with two gold-medal-winning teams each.

    Women's soccer

    With four gold medals, the United States is the most successful Olympics team in women's soccer history - indeed, all soccer history. The USWNT is a dominant force in the game and won the inaugural women's Olympics soccer tournament in 1996. The USA lost out to Norway in 2000, but secured three consecutive gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012.

    As well as Norway, Germany (2016) and Canada (2020) also won Olympic gold medals in soccer.

  • Why is men's soccer U23 in the Olympics?

    Men's soccer has been an under-23 competition at the Olympics since Barcelona 1992. As a result, the competition is technically a youth tournament and therefore has a different dynamic to it, despite the allowance of three overage players on each team roster.

    FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, did not want the Olympics to compete with the World Cup as the biggest international soccer competition, so age limits were introduced. No such limits apply in women's soccer at the Olympics.

    As well as age limits, another limiting factor is the fact that clubs are not obliged to release their players to compete in the Olympics. As a result, some of the biggest names in the game will always be absent. For example, France World Cup-winning striker Kylian Mbappe was eager to compete for his country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, but his club at the time, Real Madrid, would not allow it.

    Nevertheless, plenty of big-name players have competed in the men's football at the Olympics, with Neymar and Lionel Messi being among them in the past, while former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette was part of the France squad in 2024.