The greatest multi-sport festival on earth, the Games of the Olympiad, commonly known as the Olympics, will set up shop in Paris this year. As always, the best athletes in the world will feature in this cut-throat competition, aiming to get their hands on the coveted gold medal and go down in the history books. Men’s soccer has been a fixture in all but two Olympic Games editions — 1896 and 1932. Unlike other major tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup or European Championship, the Olympics only allows U-23 players to participate, with only three over-aged players permitted in the squad. This allows young players to have their shot at global recognition, which they do not always get in all-senior competitions. As we wait for the Games to begin, we have decided to quickly sift through the 16 qualified teams and identify five players worth keeping an eye out. Let’s begin!
#5 Thiago Almada – Argentina
Kicking off the list is Botafogo star Thiago Almada, who will make his Olympic Games debut for Argentina in Paris. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is brilliant at his craft and performed admirably in the CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. Featuring in seven matches, he scored five times and claimed two assists, showing he is ready to lead La Albiceleste. Almada featured regularly for Atlanta in Major League Soccer (MLS) before switching to Botafogo on July 12. Prior to his sudden exit, Almada played 17 games for Atlanta in MLS, scoring six times and providing an assist.
#4 Alex Baena – Spain
Having become the first nation in history to win four European Championship titles, Spain is flying high at the moment. The European powerhouse will love to extend its good run with a gold in the Paris Olympics. Spain have a star-studded team for the Paris Olympics, spearheaded by attacking midfielder Alex Baena. The 23-year-old, who played twice for La Roja in EURO 2024, is a brilliant creator, capable of slicing defenses open with his slide-rule passes. Baena enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Villarreal last term, chipping in with five goals and 18 assists in 45 matches in all competitions.
#3 Achraf Hakimi – Morocco
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) right-back Achraf Hakimi will captain Morocco in the Paris Olympics. Hakimi was one of the Atlas Lions’ best performers as they reached the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Everyone is expecting him to deliver once more and bring the coveted gold to the North African country. Hakimi enjoyed a fruitful season at PSG in 2023-24. The 25-year-old played 40 games for the Parisians, scoring five times and providing seven assists.
#2 Julian Alvarez – Argentina
The most decorated player to feature in the Paris Olympics, Manchester City ace Julian Alvarez will lead the line for Argentina this summer. Alvarez was on the list for the Tokyo Olympics as well, but Argentina fell short that time, crashing out from the group stage itself. With Alvarez leading the attack and a solid group backing him, La Albiceleste can aim for gold in Paris. Alvarez is coming onto the tournament on the back of a splendid year, during which he won the Premier League title with Manchester City and the 2024 Copa America with Argentina. In club soccer, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner scored 19 goals and claimed 13 assists in 54 games across competitions, whereas in the Copa, he bagged two goals in five games.
#1 Michael Olise – France
France senior-team coach Didier Deschamps overlooked Michael Olise for his EURO 2024 squad. Olympics team manager Thierry Henry, however, put Olise as one of the first names on his team sheet. Olise enjoyed a breakout Premier League campaign at Crystal Palace in 2023-24, scoring 10 times and providing six assists in only 19 games. Owing to his electrifying performances, Bayern Munich have signed him for a hefty £50 million ($64.63 million) fee. Naturally, all eyes will be on him in the Paris Olympics, eager to see what Bayern’s latest recruit fare against some of the best in the business.
