Guide Note

Football, or soccer as it is known in the U.S., has been a sport at the Summer Olympics since 1908.¹ Medal sets are awarded to the top men's and women's teams.²

Fast Facts

Played as an exhibition sport in 1900 and 1904¹
Added as a full medal sport in 1908¹
Women's event added in 1996¹
Game length: Two 45-minute halves³
2008: 16 men's teams in competition²
2008: 12 women's teams in competition²

Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics

The football events at the 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in and around Beijing, China.⁴ The football venues include Shanghai Stadium, Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Shenyang Olympic Sport Center Stadium, Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Workers Stadium, Olympic Sports Center and the Beijing National Stadium.⁴ Games will be held from August 6 to August 23, 2008.⁴

In the women's tournament, the United States defeated Brazil in the final game to win the gold medal on August 21. The men from Nigeria and Argentina play for the gold medal on August 23.⁵

History

Football was an exhibition sport at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics.¹ In 1908, men's football became a full medal sport.¹ Women's football was introduced in 1996.¹

Related Pages on Mahalo

Summer Olympics 2008 | Soccer | Summer Olympics | US Olympic Football 2008 | Freddy Adu | Heather Mitts | Heather O'Reilly | Hope Solo | Abby Wambach | Carli Lloyd

Categories

Sports | Olympics

View Note History

Olympic Football

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
International Olympic Committee: Football
Wikipedia: Football at the Summer Olympics
United States Olympic Committee: USA Soccer
NBC Olympics: Olympic Soccer Basics
SI.com: U.S. Beats 1-0 Brazil for Soccer Gold (August 21, 2008)
YouTube Video: US Women's Soccer Team Hopes to Repeat As Olympic... (Time: 3:03)

Olympic Football News and Articles

USA Today: Mcbride, Adu Named to U.S. Olympic Soccer Team (July 17, 2008)
MSNBC.com: U.S. Women's Soccer Team Wins Game, Loses Leading Scorer (July 17, 2008)
Official Site: Asia Seeks First Football Gold (July 17, 2008)
SI.com: Ronaldinho, Robinho Named to Brazil Olympic Soccer Team (July 7, 2008)
BBC: Olympic Football Competition Draw (April 20, 2008)
Google News: Olympic Football Search
Topix.net: Olympic Soccer News

2008 Olympic Football

Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: Football
NBC Olympics: 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics - Soccer
Wikipedia: Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008 Olympic Football Medal Winners

Event	Gold Medal	Silver Medal	Bronze Medal
Football
Men's Team
Women's Team	United States	Brazil	Germany

Olympic Football History

National Soccer Hall of Fame: Olympic Soccer History
International Olympic Committee: Olympic Football History
NBC Olympics: Olympic Soccer History

Olympic Football Blogs and Forums

FanHouse: Abby Wambach's Broken Leg Devastates U.S. Women's Soccer Team (July 17, 2008)
CBSSports.com Message Boards: Olympic Football/Soccer Tourney (July 1, 2008)
World Cup Blog: Which Men’s Football Teams Are Olympic-Bound? (April 16, 2008)

Olympic Football Photos

Google Images: Olympic Football Photos
Flickr: Olympic Soccer Photos
WireImage: Olympic Soccer Photos
Yahoo! Images: Olympic Soccer Photos
Live Search Images: Olympic Soccer Photos

Olympic Football Videos

YouTube Video: Olympic Soccer Gold Medalist Julie Foudy Chats w/ Jim Clash (Time: 5:40)
YouTube Video: Athens 2004 Olympic Korea vs Mali (Time: 2:17)
Yahoo! Video: Olympic Soccer Videos
Live Search Video: Olympic Soccer Videos