Olympic men’s soccer is nowhere near the majesty of the World Cup. That’s intentional.
To prevent Olympic soccer from competing with its prized jewel, governing body FIFA in 1992 turned it into an under-23 competition. Since 1996, teams have been permitted three overage players, but because FIFA does not require clubs to release anyone for the Olympics — overage or otherwise — many candidates are denied the Olympic experience.
With those restrictions in place, surprises are common. Nigeria (1996), Cameroon (2000) and Mexico (2012) have won gold medals, while the United States (2000), Iraq (2004) and Honduras (2016) have reached the semifinals. Brazil, the two-time reigning gold medalist, didn’t even qualify this year.
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