The men’s football tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics promises to be a showcase of some of the world’s top young talent along with experienced players who opted to compete in the mostly under-23 competition.
Group B features one of the gold medal favorites in Argentina, a program that produces a steady stream of future stars. Morocco, Iraq, and Ukraine complete a strong quartet without any clear indication of which nations will advance to the knockout phase. The six matches are split between Saint-Étienne’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Décines-Charpieu’s Stade de Lyon, and Nice’s Stade de Nice.
Schedule
Wednesday, July 24th
Argentina vs. Morocco – 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 a.m. Pacific
Iraq vs. Ukraine – 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 10:00 a.m. Pacific
Saturday, July 27th
Argentina vs. Iraq – 9:00 a.m. Eastern, 6:00 a.m. Pacific
Ukraine vs. Morocco – 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific
Tuesday, July 30th
Ukraine vs. Argentina – 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific
Morocco vs. Iraq – 11:00 a.m. Eastern, 8:00 a.m. Pacific
Argentina
The South American footballing power dominated the Olympics in 2004 and 2008, winning back-to-back gold medals with perfect 6-0-0 records. Since that high watermark, results have been mixed as success at the U-23 level is often less of an indication of program quality and talent but instead the willingness of clubs to release players for the competition. Nevertheless, La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) has a deep group that populates the rosters of top domestic sides and various teams abroad.
Recent Record: Argentina qualified for the Olympics by finishing the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament with an undefeated record. The preliminary group stage resulted in draws with Paraguay (1-1) and Uruguay (3-3) and victories over Peru (2-0) and Chile (5-0). The final stage involved ties to Venezuela (2-2) and Paraguay (3-3) followed by a ticket-punching win against Brazil (1-0). Friendlies included a split with Mexico (4-2, 0-3), two wins over Paraguay (4-0, 2-0), and a defeat to Guinea (0-1).
Odds of Winning Group: Favorite
One to Watch: After making the roster that won the 2022 World Cup, Thiago Almada co-led the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in scoring with five finishes. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder/winger was recently playing with Atlanta United in Major League Soccer, claiming a bevy of individual accolades including Newcomer of the Year, Best XI, and Young Player of the Year — his play earned a league-record transfer to Brazilian side Botafogo. He is a “quick-footed, fast thinking player” who thrives in tight spaces and can operate as an off-ball runner or playmaker, passing accurately and at a high volume. His devastating touch, incisive distribution in the final third, and productivity make him one of, if not the, best players in the tournament.
Morocco
The Lions de l’Atlas (Atlas Lions) qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 2012 and have never advanced past the second round of the competition. With a fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Cup, the entire program appears to be on the rise, with a player base populating clubs in some of the world’s biggest leagues.
Recent Record: Morocco qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, charging through the group stage with a 3-0-0 record that included wins over Guinea (2-1), Ghana (5-1), and Congo (1-0) before taking down Mali in penalties (2-2 [4-3]) and Egypt in extra time (2-1). The team has since embarked on a series of friendlies, most recently falling to Ukraine (0-1), topping Wales (2-0), and drawing Belgium (2-2).
Odds of Winning Group: In the Running
One to Watch: Morocco brought some heavy-hitter overage players to the competition, with Soufiane Rahimi expected to shoulder much of the attacking burden after being named Asian Football Confederation Champions League MVP as the top scorer. The 28-year-old Al Ain forward lines up on the inside and the outside of the formation, using his quickness and elusive nature to avoid defenders with a variety of moves. He can be devastating off of the dribble, particularly when given the isolation to utilize a long stride, but also has the size at six-foot-tall to bully smaller fullbacks with physical shouldering play. The expectation is for him to deploy as an inverted left winger, providing the opportunity to cut inwardly with the space to launch a quick shot or pick out a teammate.
Iraq
The program put in a thrilling performance at the 2004 Athens Games with a fourth-place finish that included impressive victories over Portugal, Costa Rica, and Australia. Returning to the tournament for the first time since 2016, the squad has already displayed great resilience on the road to qualification, thriving under pressure and overcoming early struggles despite relative inexperience.
Recent Record: Iraq qualified for the Olympics by finishing third at last spring’s Asian Football Confederation’s U-23 Asian Cup. The group stage opened with a loss to Thailand (0-2) followed by consecutive victories over Tajikistan (4-2) and Saudi Arabia (2-1). In the knockout phase, the team took down Vietnam (1-0), fell to Japan (0-2), and secured the bronze with an extra-time win against Indonesia (2-1). A recent friendly with Egypt ended in defeat (1-2).
Odds of Winning Group: In the Running
One to Watch: Due to his importance with the senior national team, there was reasonable questioning as to whether Ali Jasim would be present at the Olympics. The top-scorer at the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup spent the past season on loan with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the domestic competition, helping Al-Soqoor (The Falcons) finish second in the Iraq Stars League. The 20-year-old attacker is a highly technical and creative player who can progress the ball up the field with solo runs and work his way out of tight areas. He thrives in transition with pace and guile, demonstrating value as both a playmaker and finisher who can operate on both the center and the wings of the field.
Ukraine
The Молодіжка (Young men) qualified for the Olympics for the first time, built on the backs of a group that made a deep run at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and is currently on pace to reach the 2025 competition.
Recent Record: The country’s U-21 team secured qualification at the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Ukraine finished second in Group B with a 2-0-1 record, topping Croatia (2-0), beating Romania (1-0), and drawing with Spain (2-2). The knockout phase involved a victory over France (3-1) in the quarterfinal round and a loss to Spain (1-5) in the semifinal, with an Olympics ticket punched due to champions England being ineligible to compete at the Paris Games. The U-23 squad won June’s Maurice Revello Tournament, reeling off victories over Indonesia (3-0), Italy (4-0), Panama (2-0), Japan (2-1), and Ivory Coast in a shootout (2-2 [5-4]). Recent friendlies ended in draws with Egypt (1-1) and Paraguay (2-2).
Odds of Winning Group: In the Running
One to Watch: Ukraine lacks the dynamic attacking…
