Football at the 2020 Summer Olympics
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Key Takeaways
- The football tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 21 July to 7 August 2021 in Japan.
- Two events were contested: a men's and women's competitions.
- There were no age restrictions on women's teams, while men's teams were restricted to under-24 players (born on or after 1 January 1997) with a maximum of three overage players allowed.
- In June 2020, FIFA approved the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) system at the Olympics.
- Brazil were the men's defending champions.
The football tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 21 July to 7 August 2021 in Japan.
In addition to the Olympic host city of Tokyo, matches were also played in Kashima, Saitama, Sapporo, Rifu and Yokohama.
Two events were contested: a men's and women's competitions. Associations affiliated with FIFA may send teams to participate in the tournament. There were no age restrictions on women's teams, while men's teams were restricted to under-24 players (born on or after 1 January 1997) with a maximum of three overage players allowed. The men's tournament is typically restricted to under-23 players, though following the postponement of the Olympics by a year, FIFA decided to maintain the restriction of players born on or after 1 January 1997. In June 2020, FIFA approved the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) system at the Olympics. Teams were restricted to 18 athletes, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rosters were allowed to consist of up to 22 athletes.
Brazil were the men's defending champions. Germany won the previous women's tournament, but failed to qualify after losing to Sweden in the quarter-finals of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Schedule
Venues
A total of six venues were used:
Qualification
The Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions ratified the distribution of spots at their meeting on 14 September 2017.
Summary
Men's qualification
In addition to the host nation Japan, 15 men's national teams qualified from six separate continental confederations.
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