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Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament

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2008 Men's Olympic Football Tournament
Tournament details
Host countryChina
Dates7–23 August
Teams16 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)6 (in 5 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Argentina (2nd title)
Runners-up Nigeria
Third place Brazil
Fourth place Belgium
Tournament statistics
Matches played32
Goals scored75 (2.34 per match)
Attendance1,404,254 (43,883 per match)
Top scorer(s)Italy Giuseppe Rossi
(4 goals)
← 2004
2012 →
Football at the
2008 Summer Olympics
Qualification
menwomen
Tournament
menwomen
Squads
menwomen

The men's football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and four other cities in the People's Republic of China from 7 to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to enter their men's under-23 teams in regional qualifying competitions, from which 15 teams, plus the host nation, reached the final tournament. Men's teams were allowed to augment their squads with up to three players over the age of 23.

For these Games, the men competed in a 16-team tournament. Preliminary matches commenced on 7 August, the day before the Games' opening ceremony. The teams were grouped into four pools of four teams each for a round-robin preliminary round. The top two teams in each pool advanced to an eight-team single-elimination bracket.

The tournament was won by Argentina, who beat Nigeria 1–0 in the final, as part of a record streak of 12 consecutive wins in football competitions at the Summer Olympics (six wins in 2004, six wins in 2008).

Despite the absence of an official best player award, the FIFA website highlighted Lionel Messi's campaign by stating that he "posed defenders more problems than anyone else in the tournament".[1] Juan Román Riquelme and Javier Mascherano also received special mentions.[2]

Qualification

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Countries of men's tournament

A National Olympic Committee may enter one men's team in football competitions.

Main article: Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification
Means of qualification Date Venue Berths Qualified
Host nation   1  China
AFC Preliminary Competition February – November 2007 – 3  Australia
 Japan
 South Korea
CAF Preliminary Competition September 2006 – March 2008 – 3  Cameroon
 Ivory Coast
 Nigeria
CONCACAF Preliminary Competition August 2007 – March 2008  United States 2  Honduras
 United States
2007 South American Youth Championship 7–28 January 2007  Paraguay 2  Brazil
 Argentina
OFC Preliminary Competition 1–9 March 2008  Fiji 1  New Zealand
2007 UEFA U-21 Championship 10–23 June 2007  Netherlands 4  Netherlands
 Serbia
 Belgium
 Italy
Total 16

Venues

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Further information: Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics § Venues

Six venues were used during the tournament, four of them outside of Beijing at cities around China. Beijing National Stadium hosted the final.

Beijing Shanghai
class=notpageimage|
Location of host cities of the tournament.
Beijing National Stadium Beijing Workers' Stadium Shanghai Stadium
Capacity: 91,000 Capacity: 70,161 Capacity: 80,000
Tianjin Shenyang Qinhuangdao
Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium Shenyang Olympic Stadium Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre Stadium
Capacity: 60,000 Capacity: 60,000 Capacity: 33,000

Squads

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Main article: Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads

For the men's tournament, each nation submitted a squad of 18 players, 15 of whom had to be born on or after 1 January 1985, and three of whom could be overage players, by 23 July 2008.[3] A minimum of two goalkeepers (plus one optional alternate goalkeeper) had to be included in the squad.[3]

Match officials

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On 22 April 2008, FIFA released the list of match referees that will officiate at the Olympics.[4]

Confederation Referee Assistants
AFC Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia) Mohammed Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)
Hamdi Al Kadrie (Syria)
Abdullah Al Hilali (Oman) Khaled Al Allan (Bahrain)
Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)
Masoud Moradi (Iran) Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)
Luay Subhi Adib (Iraq)
CAF Jerome Damon (South Africa) Enock Molefe (South Africa)
Célestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)
Badara Diatta (Senegal) Bechir Hassani (Tunisia)
Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)
CONCACAF Roberto Moreno (Panama) Daniel Williamson (Panama)
Hairo Fuentes (Panama)
Jair Marrufo (United States) Kermit Quisenberry (United States)
Ricardo Morgan (Jamaica)
CONMEBOL Héctor Baldassi (Argentina) Ricardo Casas (Argentina)
Hernán Maidana (Argentina)
Pablo Pozo (Chile) Patricio Basualto (Chile)
Julio Díaz (Chile)
Martín Vázquez (Uruguay) Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)
Miguel Nievas (Uruguay)
OFC Michael Hester (New Zealand) Tevita Makasini (Tonga)
Michael Joseph (Vanuatu)
UEFA Thomas Einwaller (Austria) Roland Heim (Austria)
Norbert Schwab (Austria)
Viktor Kassai (Hungary) Gábor Erős (Hungary)
Tibor Vámos (Hungary)
Stéphane Lannoy (France) Eric Dansault (France)
Frédéric Cano (France)
Damir Skomina (Slovenia) Primož Arhar (Slovenia)
Marco Stancin (Slovenia)
Wolfgang Stark (Germany) Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)
Volker Wezel (Germany)

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8).

Seeding

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The draw for the tournament took place on 20 April 2008. Argentina, the Netherlands, China and Cameroon were seeded for the draw and placed into groups A–D, respectively. The remaining teams were drawn from four pots with teams from the same region kept apart.

Pot 1: Asia Pot 2: Africa and Oceania Pot 3: Europe Pot 4: Americas

Group stage

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Group winners and runners-up advanced to the quarter-finals.

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Argentina 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9 Qualified for the quarterfinals
2  Ivory Coast 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6
3  Australia 3 0 1 2 1 3 −2 1
4  Serbia 3 0 1 2 3 7 −4 1
Source: [5]
Australia 1–1 Serbia
Zadkovich 69' Report Rajković 78'
Attendance: 36,184
Ivory Coast 1–2 Argentina
Cissé 53' Report Messi 43'
Acosta 86'
Attendance: 43,266
Argentina 1–0 Australia
Lavezzi 76' Report
Attendance: 38,182
Serbia 2–4 Ivory Coast
Mrdaković 16'
Rakić 90'		 Report Cissé 3'
Rajković 24' (o.g.)
Kalou 70'
Gervinho 90+3'
Attendance: 38,320
Ivory Coast 1–0 Australia
Kalou 81' Report
Attendance: 50,437
Argentina 2–0 Serbia
Lavezzi 13' (pen.)
Buonanotte 84'		 Report
Attendance: 53,668

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Nigeria 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 7 Qualified for the quarterfinals
2  Netherlands 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5
3  United States 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
4  Japan 3 0 0 3 1 4 −3 0
Source: [citation needed]
Japan 0–1 United States
Report Holden 47'
Attendance: 57,102
Netherlands 0–0 Nigeria
Report
Attendance: 52,390
Referee: Pablo Pozo (Chile)
Nigeria 2–1 Japan
Obinna 58'
Anichebe 74'		 Report Toyoda 79'
Attendance: 42,592
Referee: Masoud Moradi (Iran)
United States 2–2 Netherlands
Kljestan 64'
Altidore 72'		 Report Babel 16'
Sibon 90+3'
Attendance: 45,016
Netherlands 1–0 Japan
Sibon 73' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 38,790
Nigeria 2–1 United States
Isaac 39'
Obinna 79'		 Report Kljestan 88' (pen.)
Attendance: 48,096

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Brazil 3 3 0 0 9 0 +9 9 Qualified for the quarterfinals
2  Belgium 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6
3  China (H) 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1
4  New Zealand 3 0 1 2 1 7 −6 1
Source: [citation needed]
(H) Hosts
Brazil 1–0 Belgium
Hernanes 79' Report
Attendance: 39,661
China 1–1 New Zealand
Dong Fangzhuo 88' Report Brockie 53'
Attendance: 41,407
New Zealand 0–5 Brazil
Report Anderson 3'
Pato 33'
Ronaldinho 55', 61' (pen.)
Sóbis 90+3'
Attendance: 44,951
Belgium 2–0 China
Dembélé 8'
Mirallas 80'		 Report
Attendance: 45,756
China 0–3 Brazil
Report Diego 18'
Thiago Neves 69', 73'
Attendance: 38,790
New Zealand 0–1 Belgium
Report Haroun 35'
Attendance: 45,202
Referee: Pablo Pozo (Chile)

Group D

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Italy 3 2 1 0 6 0 +6 7 Qualified for the quarterfinals
2  Cameroon 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
3  South Korea 3 1 1 1 2 4 −2 4
4  Honduras 3 0 0 3 0 5 −5 0
Source: [citation needed]
Honduras 0–3 Italy
Report Giovinco 41'
Rossi 45' (pen.)
Acquafresca 52' (pen.)
Attendance: 21,680
South Korea 1–1 Cameroon
Park Chu-young 68' Report Mandjeck 81'
Attendance: 21,943
Cameroon 1–0 Honduras
Mbia 74' Report
Attendance: 28,657
Italy 3–0 South Korea
Rossi 15'
Rocchi 32'
Montolivo 90'		 Report
Attendance: 29,455
South Korea 1–0 Honduras
Kim Dong-jin 23' Report
Attendance: 34,160
Cameroon 0–0 Italy
Report
Attendance: 47,307

Knockout stage

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Quarter-finals Semi-finals Gold medal match
         
B1  Nigeria 2
A2  Ivory Coast 0
B1  Nigeria 4
C2  Belgium 1
D1  Italy 2
C2  Belgium 3
B1  Nigeria 0
A1  Argentina 1
A1  Argentina (aet) 2
B2  Netherlands 1
A1  Argentina 3 Bronze medal match
C1  Brazil 0
C1  Brazil (aet) 2 C2  Belgium 0
D2  Cameroon 0 C1  Brazil 3

Quarter-finals

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Brazil 2–0 (a.e.t.) Cameroon
Sóbis 101'
Marcelo 105'		 Report
Attendance: 41,043
Italy 2–3 Belgium
Rossi 18' (pen.), 74' (pen.) Report Dembélé 23', 79'
Mirallas 45+2'
Attendance: 50,802
Argentina 2–1 (a.e.t.) Netherlands
Messi 14'
Di María 105'		 Report Bakkal 36'
Attendance: 51,366
Nigeria 2–0 Ivory Coast
Odemwingie 44'
Obinna 82' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 28,944
Referee: Masoud Moradi (Iran)

Semi-finals

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Nigeria 4–1 Belgium
Adefemi 17'
Obasi 59', 72'
Okonkwo 78'		 Report Ciman 88'
Attendance: 56,312
Referee: Pablo Pozo (Chile)
Argentina 3–0 Brazil
Agüero 52', 58'
Riquelme 76' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 52,968

Bronze medal match

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Belgium 0–3 Brazil 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Report Diego 27'
Jô 45', 90+2'
Attendance: 50,705

Gold medal match

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Main article: Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament – Final
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Nigeria 0–1 Argentina 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Report Di María 58'
Attendance: 89,102

Source for cards:[6]

Team details

Final ranking

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Argentina (ARG) 6 6 0 0 11 2 +9 18
2  Nigeria (NGR) 6 4 1 1 10 4 +6 13
3  Brazil (BRA) 6 5 0 1 14 3 +11 15
4  Belgium (BEL) 6 3 0 3 7 10 −3 9
5  Italy (ITA) 4 2 1 1 8 3 +5 7
6  Ivory Coast (CIV) 4 2 0 2 6 6 0 6
7  Netherlands (NED) 4 1 2 1 4 4 0 5
8  Cameroon (CMR) 4 1 2 1 2 3 −1 5
9  United States (USA) 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
10  South Korea (KOR) 3 1 1 1 2 4 −2 4
11  Australia (AUS) 3 0 1 2 1 3 −2 1
12  Serbia (SRB) 3 0 1 2 3 7 −4 1
13  China (CHN) 3 0 1 2 1 6 −5 1
14  New Zealand (NZL) 3 0 1 2 1 7 −6 1
15  Japan (JPN) 3 0 0 3 1 4 −3 0
16  Honduras (HON) 3 0 0 3 0 5 −5 0
Source: IOC

Statistics

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Goalscorers

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With four goals, Giuseppe Rossi of Italy was the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 75 goals were scored by 53 different players, with only one of them credited as own goal.

4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Own goals

References

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  1. ^ "Olympic Football Tournaments Beijing 2008". FIFA. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Messi and Argentina grab gold in Beijing". FIFA. 23 August 2020. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Regulations of the Olympic Football Tournaments Archived 27 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "List of Referees & Assistant Referees appointed for the Olympic Football Tournaments Beijing 2008 – (Men's tournament)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 April 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  5. ^ "2008 Summer Olympics Soccer Results - Beijing, China - ESPN". www.espn.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Torneo Olímpico de Fútbol • 23 Aug 2008 • 01:00 • National Stadium (Bird's Nest)". FIFA (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
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