The Olympic Games are in full swing, and soccer is in the running to win the gold medal! But why is there never a soccer star on the Olympic team? The absence of these soccer icons is partly due to a scheduling conflict with FIFA, but that's not the only reason.
Busy schedules make putting together a men's team for the Olympics a real headache. In 2021, then coach Sylvain Ripoli had bitter experience of this in Tokyo, and Thierry Henry, his successor, didn't have much help for Paris 2024 either. As the Olympic tournament is not part of the FIFA calendar, clubs are not obliged to release their players.
This situation stems from a long-standing tug-of-war between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIFA. In 1932, just as FIFA was creating its World Cup and soccer was becoming increasingly serious, the IOC ousted men's soccer from the Olympics to preserve amateurism. The sport made a comeback in 1936, but only for amateur players.
In 1984, there was a mini-turnaround (still valid today): only professional players under the age of 23 could take part, with an exception for three older players. As a result, Alexandre Lacazette will lead theFrench Olympic soccer team as captain at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Go Les Bleus!
