New Delhi: Argentina, even without its talismanic player Lionel Messi, has the potential to win a record-equalling third gold medal in men's football at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Argentina head coach Javier Mascherano, who won gold as a player in 2004 and 2008, is aiming for glory as he has named four World Cup winners in his squad, including striker Julian Alvarez and defender Nicolas Otamendi.
Olympic men's football is an under-23 tournament, but each team is allowed three overage players.
Messi, 37, who helped the South American team win gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has decided not to play in the Paris edition, citing heavy workload.
Clubs are not required to release their players to compete in the Olympic Games because, unlike other major international football tournaments, the games take place outside the official FIFA international window.
In 2008, Barcelona won an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport to prevent Messi from playing in Beijing. It was reported that after an intervention by then Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola, the La Liga club eventually gave the green light, and Messi won gold with Argentina in his only Olympic campaign.
The Olympic men's football tournament serves more as a platform for emerging talent rather than established stars, with traditional football powerhouses not necessarily among the favourites.
Nigeria and Cameroon won in 1996 and 2000, respectively. In 2012, Mexico won the gold medal in London, with a team consisting mostly of home players.
South American teams have dominated the event over the past 20 years, with Brazil and Argentina winning two gold medals each since 2004. Brazil, champions in 2016 and 2020, have failed to qualify for Paris, meaning Argentina could equal Hungary and Britain's record if they win their third Olympic gold.
Claudio Etcheverry is worth keeping an eye on. The 18-year-old, who will move to Manchester City next season, is an attacking midfielder and is expected to play a key role in Argentina's campaign.
Argentina is placed in Group B along with Morocco, Iraq and Ukraine. After Argentina, the two other favourites, France and Spain, will play in Group A (along with the United States, Guinea and New Zealand) and Group C (along with the Dominican Republic, Egypt and Uzbekistan) respectively. Group D includes Paraguay, Israel, Japan and Mali.
Argentina are due to play Morocco in their opening match in Saint-Etienne when the tournament begins on July 24, two days before the Olympics' opening ceremony. The final will be held at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 9.
The men's event is played alternately with the women's event in various cities across France, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes and Nice.
Unlike the men's event, the women's competition brings together the best players from the 12 participating teams. Top-ranked Spain are vying to become the first team to win an Olympic gold medal after winning the World Cup title.
Confusion reigned after La Roja won last year's World Cup, leaving the team in turmoil. Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales stepped down in disgrace after being accused of forcibly kissing Jenny Hermoso during World Cup victory celebrations. World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda is also gone, a controversial figure who has been replaced by former national team player Montse Tome.
Spain must put these developments behind them and unite before they begin their Olympic campaign. With FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas and Salma Parraluelo in the ranks, this talented squad will be the team to beat in Paris.
In their opening Group C game on July 25, Spain will take on Japan, against whom they lost 4-0 in a group match at last year's World Cup. The other two teams in the group are Nigeria and Brazil.
The Paris Olympics will likely be Brazil great Marta's last tournament. The 38-year-old, who has played in the last five Olympics, plans to retire from the national team after the Games.
The most successful team at the Olympics is the United States with four gold medals. But their dominance began to wane from the 2016 Rio Olympics, where they lost to Sweden on penalties in the quarter-finals. Five years later in Tokyo, they lost again to Sweden in a group match and then to gold medallists Canada in the semi-finals. Their head coach Emma Hayes opted for young strikers when selecting her 18-member squad for Paris, excluding two-time World Cup winner Alex Morgan – a 34-year-old who has scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for the national team.
The United States will face Zambia on July 25 in Group B, which also includes 2016 Olympic gold medalists Germany and Australia.
In addition to Morgan, another notable absence from the Paris Olympics will be long-time Canada captain Christine Sinclair, who retired from international duty last year after Canada surprisingly failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Canada is scheduled to begin its campaign against New Zealand in a Group A match in Saint-Etienne on July 25. France and Colombia are their next two group opponents.
The women's football final will be held at the Parc des Princes in Paris on August 10, a day after the men's final.
