Qualifying tournaments for some confederations are being held right now: Men UEFA: 16-team tournament co-hosted by Georgia and Romania started yesterday. France playing Italy later tonight. Top 3 (excluding France) qualify for Paris. CAF: 8-team tournament in Morocco starts this weekend. Top 3 qualify for Paris. The 4th-place team goes to a playoff v AFC. CONCACAF: 16-team tournament was held in Honduras last year. US and Dominican Republic qualified. Women CONMEBOL: Qualifying based off of the 2022 Copa America (recall, that the Olympic women's tournament is not a youth tournament). The winners, Brazil, and runners-up, Colombia, qualified for Paris. CONCACAF: 8-team tournament held in Mexico last year. Only the winner qualified for Paris directly, which was the US. 2nd and 3rd place (Canada and Jamaica, respectively) engage in a two-legged playoff in September. The other confederations all conduct their qualifying tournaments in February 2024.
The finalists - plus France, or the third highest rank team if France reaches the final - from the 2023/24 UEFA Women's NL will qualify for the Olympics. Incidentally, the IOC session in October might take a decision about FIFA's request for the women's tournament to expand from 12 to 16 teams.
Glad to see that UEFA is having a qualifying process for the women's side instead of what they've done for a few cycles, sending the top 3 UEFA teams from the previous World Cup.
So, if I get this right, unless both France and England lose in the QFs of the U21 Euros, one of Georgia or Israel is guaranteed a place in Paris.
It is crazy to think that out of the many teams in Europe the winner of Georgia vs. Israel will probably make it to the Olympics.
Meh, UEFA has sent cannon fodder to the Olympic Games for a while now: - Tokyo 2020: Romania - Rio 2016: Sweden - London 2012: Belarus - Beijing 2008: Serbia - Athens 2004: Serbia and Montenegro - Sydney 2000: Czech Republic - Atlanta 1996: Hungary Paris 2024 should be a walkover for other confederations, thanks to those UEFA teams.
Georgia is the host nation - or rather one of the two - while Israel was runner-up in last year's U19 EURO and finished third at this year's U20WC, so it is not such a shocking QF. Olympic qualifying through the U21 EURO is particularly difficult because of the relatively few places available at the tournament because the second tier UEFA teams have closed the gap somewhat, like we have seen with the senior teams.
I recall he himself expressed a wish to do so, but I doubt it will happen. He will certainly play EURO 2024 and that probably means he will not play at the Games. If he had been within the under 23 age limit I suspect it would have been more likely, but now he has passed it - notwithstanding the three players above the age limit which can be selected - I doubt it will happen.
Doubt being over/under 23 has anything to do with it. It's mainly because, as you pointed out, there is a conflict with Euro 2024. This draws some parallels to Neymar in 2016. Neymar had to choose b/w a Copa America and Olympics. But some notable differences: 1) Neymar hasn't won anything with his National team ( and never will...lol); 2) An Olympics in your country stacks up decently against a made up Copa halfway across the globe, but stacks up quite feebly v a Euro in Germany.
Morocco is going to be the real home team in France I imagine. Their matches are going to be insane atmosphere wise and hard to get into.
The way they are going a out their football, they are going to be a power on the world stage. They are a very organized federation and are attracting tons of dual nationals. They will do very well in the Olympics and I think they are primed to do well again in 2026. I dont think their success will be a one off.
Yes. Morocco are building something. I see them establishing themselves as one of the best four five ROW teams and become a constant threat for the European powerhouses as well as Brazil and Argentina.
Futsal should be added but not at the expense of football. Just scrap the silly equestrian events or something, who cares.