Sixteen national teams, divided into four groups, compete with the goal of winning an Olympic medal. Among the athletes seeking glory in Paris are nine footballers from our league.

The Paris Olympics cap off an extraordinary summer for international football, following Spain`s triumph at Euro 2024 and Argentina`s victory in the Copa America. In this five-ring spectacle, national teams field U-23 players, born on or after January 1, 2001, with the option to include up to three overage players. This setup provides an opportunity to showcase new talents and to see familiar faces from our league compete on an international stage.

Let`s review the journey of the Serie A Enilive players participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The host nation, France, coached by Thierry Henry, won Group A with a maximum points, finishing ahead of the United States, who came in second with six points. The American midfield featured a duo from Venezia, with Tanner Tessmann, the team`s captain, and Gianluca Busio. The Italian-American Busio scored in the 4-1 victory over New Zealand but had to go off injured. The injury also kept him out of the final game against Guinea (3-0). For the African side, Atalanta`s Henry Camara clocked a total of 30 minutes of play.

In Group B, everything was decided in the final round, with all four teams level on points after the first two matches. Morocco, captained by Hakimi, topped the group after defeating Argentina in a dramatic opening match and securing a win against Iraq in the final game. Oussama El Azzouzi (Bologna) played a key role in Morocco`s midfield duo, but was exceptionally positioned in defence during the 3-0 victory over Iraq. 

The Albiceleste recovered from a shaky start and secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Ukraine. Lucas Beltrán (Fiorentina) partnered with Julián Álvarez in Argentina’s 4-4-2 formation under coach Mascherano, starting from the bench only in the last match.

Egypt defeated Spain to top Group C, a group largely defined by the battle between these two teams. The Spanish national team featured two players from Serie A: starting left-back Juan Miranda (Bologna) and Adrián Bernabé (Parma), who has been a valuable option off the bench for coach Denia. Bernabé started in midfield during the match against Egypt, which Spain lost after already securing qualification.

Uzbekistan`s captain Eldor Shomurodov (Roma) scored a historic penalty goal against Spain, marking his country`s first-ever goal at the Olympics. The former Cagliari player also provided an assist in the 1-1 draw against the Dominican Republic, but his efforts weren`t enough to prevent Uzbekistan`s elimination from the tournament.

In Group D, Japan and Paraguay emerged as the strongest teams, advancing to the next round, while Mali and Israel were eliminated. Diego Gonzalez (Lazio) missed the tournament for Paraguay due to a muscle injury. For Mali, young midfielder Coli Saco (Napoli) showcased his talent, playing 16 minutes against Israel and the full match against Paraguay.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for Friday, 2 August. Here is the schedule with the match times:

• Morocco vs. United States, 15:00 CEST
• Japan vs. Spain, 17:00 CEST
• Egypt vs. Paraguay, 19:00  CEST
• France vs. Argentina, 21:00 CEST

The semi-finals will be played on Monday, 5 August, while the final is set for Friday, 9 August, at 18:00 CEST.

For the Serie A Enilive representatives, winning a medal would highlight the link between the Olympics and our league, which, in the new millennium, has predominantly featured South American players. In Brazil`s last two triumphs, Felipe Anderson (Lazio) and Gabriel Barbosa (Inter) secured gold in 2016, while in 2020, the honour went to Douglas Luiz, the new signing for Juventus.

In the past, other Serie A stars have made their mark at the Olympics. Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli) won gold with Argentina in 2008, while in 2004, Nicolás Burdisso and Kily González (Inter), Fabricio Coloccini (AC Milan), and Mariano González (Palermo) also claimed the title with the Albiceleste. Notably, Serie A has also been home to Olympic top scorers. Giuseppe Rossi with 4 goals in 2008, Iván Zamorano with 6 goals in 2000 (Inter), and Hernán Crespo also with 6 goals in 1996, the year he joined Parma.

(Photo Getty Images)

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