Footballers who received Olympic gold medals

July 9, 2024

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Soccer has been part of the Olympics since 1900 – 4 years after the inaugural Video games in Athens.

Membership sides represented their nations within the 1900 and 1904 editions, with nationwide groups collaborating between 1908 and 1964.

Tevez completed because the event’s high scorer, three objectives forward of Paraguay’s Jose Cardozo in second. The previous Manchester United, Manchester Metropolis, Juventus and Boca Juniors ahead received a string of honours in a profitable membership profession, however got here up brief with Argentina’s senior facet, ending as a runner-up in three Copa America finals and likewise within the 2005 Conderations Cup closing.

Alves earned over 100 caps for Brazil in a 16-year worldwide profession between 2006 and 2022, successful two Copa America titles and two Confederations Cups in that point. He was additionally captain of the Brazil facet which received Olympic gold on the 2020 Video games in Tokyo, delayed till 2021 and performed in empty stadiums as a result of Covid-19 pandemic. Brazil beat Spain 2-1 after further time in Yokohama.

Kanu netted the winner in a 1-0 victory over Hungary within the group levels and with Nigeria on the point of elimination at 3-2 all the way down to Brazil within the semi-finals, the previous Arsenal striker scored within the ninetieth and 94th minutes to seal an unimaginable 4-3 win for the Tremendous Eagles. The skipper additionally performed the 90 minutes within the closing as Nigeria beat Argentina 3-2 to win the title. It was Nigeria’s second Olympic gold medal ever, with the primary having been received yesterday by ladies’s lengthy jumper Chioma Ajunwa.

Neymar scored towards Colombia within the quarter-finals, earlier than including two extra in a 6-0 thrashing of Honduras within the final 4 – his purpose inside 15 seconds was the quickest in Olympic historical past – and one other within the closing towards Germany. That match ended 1-1, however the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain ahead hit the decisive penalty on the Maracana at hand Brazil their first soccer gold.

Nonetheless, the previous River Plate, Liverpool and Barcelona favorite was a part of the Olympic sides which received gold in 2004 and once more in 2008. A promising 20-year-old in 2004, he had solely accomplished one season at River when he helped Argentina to the title in Athens. And 4 years later, he returned as an “overage” participant in Beijing to turn out to be the primary Argentine in any sport to win two Olympic gold medals.

Messi scored twice for Argentina en path to the gold medal in Beijing, together with the opener in a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands within the final eight. The South People edged out Nigeria 1-0 within the closing to finish the event with six wins out of six. Messi needed to wait till 2021 for a serious trophy with the senior facet, although, after a sequence of close to misses. And after that Copa America triumph, he led the Albiceleste to World Cup glory the next 12 months in Qatar.

Footballers who received Olympic gold medals

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