Will Lionel Messi play for Argentina at 2024 Summer Olympics? Format, dates and how it would affect Inter Miami
The 2024 Summer Olympics are quickly approaching, with the football competition kicking off on July 24.
16 countries will compete for medals in the men's football tournament and the potential presence of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has been touted by Javier Mascherano, his former teammate at Barcelona who is in charge of the Albiceleste Under-23s.
The squads will be made up of players under the age of 23, with the exception of three senior stars called upon by each side to guide the locker room. Given the rules, we may just see Messi representing Argentina again after Copa America.
Only 12 of the 16 teams have qualified for the men's football competition so far. France qualify as hosts, while Spain and the United States will also hope to challenge Argentina for gold. Three teams from Asia are still to be confirmed.
Confederation
Nations
Organizer
France
CONCACAF
United States and Dominican Republic
CAF
Egypt, Mali and Morocco
Oceania
New Zealand
UEFA
Spain, Ukraine and Israel
CONMEBOL
Paraguay and Argentina
AFC
Three places and the possibility of fourth in a playoff
Football at the Olympic Games will have 16 teams in the first phase. The teams will be divided into four groups of four; countries from the same continent cannot be drawn together.
The top two from each zone will advance to the knockout stages, starting with the quarterfinals. A third place play-off will take place fo the bronze medal and the final will determine the gold and silver winners.
The venues include Parc des Princes, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes.
Stadium
City
Capacity
Stade de Marseille
Marseille
67,394
Stade de Lyon
Lyon
59,186
Parc des Princes
Paris
47,929
Stade de Bordeaux
Bordeaux
42,115
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Saint-Etienne
41,965
Stade de Nice
Nic
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