Men’s Olympic football at Paris 2024 started on Wednesday with significant drama across the opening eight games.
There is a huge range of countries represented at the tournament, from the likes of footballing powerhouses France to minnows Uzbekistan.
However, yet again Team GB are conspicuous by their absence, with football at the Olympics never really taking off among the home nations.
That was the first occasion GB had a men’s side at the tournament since 1960 and it looks set to stay that way unless there is a major turnaround. But, why is this the case? Mail Sport takes a look…
Football is underway at the Olympics, but yet again Team GB don’t have any representatives
Team GB men last competed in 2012 in London in what was their first appearance since 1960
Women’s football was introduced in 1996 and Team GB have competed in both 2012 and 2020
The relationship of Team GB’s football with the Olympics remains complicated, with their appearance in 2012 as a host nation only coming after significant haggling.
The major difficulty is the fact that GB represents England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the four nations have struggled to come to an agreement on competing.
England have tended to be in favour of sending a side, but there is concern among Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that a GB team would damage their individual independence within FIFA and UEFA.
They are worried the use of a British team would be a slippery slope to using that in further competitions, such as World Cups and Euros.
These concerns have been long-held, and the appearance of GB in 2012 only came after FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave strong reassurances this would not happen.
There is also the trouble of finding a way for a side to qualify. Within the men’s Olympic football tournament, European teams secure their places by reaching the semi-finals of the previous year’s Under 21 Euros.
But, given all the British nations compete individually, this means a mixed squad of British players is an impossible concept unless one of the countries competed under the flag of GB, which is unlikely to be a popular move.
Team GB crashed out on penalties in the quarter-final stage to South Korea at London 2012
England have tended to be in favour of a side, but there is concern among Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that a GB team would damage their independence within FIFA and UEFA
Back in 2015, then FA Director of Elite Development Dan Ashworth and Gareth Southgate tried to push for a team at Rio 2016, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland quickly shut down the idea of playing under the proxy of the England side.
Despite competing just once since 1960, Team GB remain the record winners of the tournament with three gold medals, but each individual nations’ sovereignty seems to be the major issue.
For example, Scotland could have represented Team GB in 1992 and 1996 having technically qualified via the Under 21 Euros, but chose not to.
Speaking in 2016, then-FA chief executive Martin Glenn insisted the threat to home nations independence was no longer an issue.
‘FIFA has indicated that it’s not a problem,’ he said. ‘The big fear in the past was that if we did it we would jeopardise our independent country status.
‘But that was sorted out under (former FIFA president Sepp) Blatter actually and (new president) Gianni Infantino has reinforced it.’
Meanwhile, women’s football was introduced at the Olympics in 1996 and like their male counterparts, GB entered a team in 2012.
An agreement couldn’t be reached for Rio 2016, but ahead of Tokyo 2020, the four nations agreed the highest-ranked of the teams would be nominated to compete for an Olympic place, with England securing a spot by virtue of reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup.
Then FA Director of Elite Development Dan Ashworth and Gareth Southgate tried to push for a team at Rio 2016, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland quickly shut down the idea
Within women’s football, the four nations agreed the highest-ranked home nation would compete to qualify for the Olympics, but England failed to secure a spot at Paris 2024
The Lionesses crashed out at the quarter-final stage in Japan, but the method of qualifying was viewed as a success, with this again used for Paris 2024.
However, England failed to qualify for the tournament by virtue of coming second in their Nations League group, which was determined as the qualifying factor.
As a result, Team GB don’t have any representatives in the Olympic football, and while the women’s team could feature at Los Angeles in 2028, it is unlikely a men’s side will fly the GB flag in the future.
