Star names in short supply in men’s Olympic football tournament
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Having just joined Real Madrid, French star Kylian Mbappe will be giving the Paris Olympics football tournament a miss.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS – Kylian Mbappe wanted to take part in the Olympics in his home city, while there were hopes Lionel Messi would feature for Argentina, but instead the Olympic men’s football tournament at the Paris Games will be devoid of star names.
As France captain and the most famous athlete in the country hosting the 2024 Olympics, Mbappe’s presence in Thierry Henry’s squad would have been a boost for organisers as well as for the team’s chances of winning gold.
But the 25-year-old forward had to accept that his new club Real Madrid would not allow him to participate immediately after his Euro 2024 exertions in Germany, where Les Bleus reached the semi-finals.
That is the problem for the men’s football competition, which runs from July 24 to Aug 9.
Clubs are not obliged to release players for a tournament held outside an official Fifa window for international football, following straight on from the European Championship and Copa America.
Messi, who was part of the Argentina team who claimed Olympic gold at Beijing 2008, ruled himself out of Javier Mascherano’s squad for Paris shortly before the Copa, which his country won.
“I spoke with Mascherano and we immediately agreed on the situation,” the 37-year-old told ESPN. “At my age, I don’t want to play everything and I need to make the right choices.”
Henry also missed out on several other players he had been eyeing.
“The last time I had so many rejections was when I was at high school,” he joked when announcing a team in which the most recognisable names are Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, 33, and new Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, 22.
The men’s football competition is an Under-23 event, but teams can field up to three over-aged players.
The tournament is also missing traditional powerhouses Brazil, who won gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and retained the title in Tokyo three years ago, beating Spain in the final.
They failed to qualify this time, and Argentina must fancy their chances of ensuring a sixth straight Latin American champion, something which is deemed achievable by Mascherano, who won Olympic gold as a player in 2004 and 2008.
In Julian Alvarez, the Manchester City striker who won the 2022 World Cup and the recent Copa, they will have one of the highest-profile players taking part.
Argentina and Spain kick off the tournament on July 24 against Morocco and Uzbekistan respectively. The Moroccans will have the services of Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi.
Argentina will go on to meet Ukraine and Iraq in Group B, while Spain will also face the Dominican Republic and Egypt, who are without Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, in Group C.
Winners in 1992 and silver medallists in Tokyo, Spain are targeting gold after their Euro 2024 triumph.
Leading names from the European Championship such as Lamine Yamal are not involved, but another prodigious young Barcelona talent will feature, in 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsi.
France will meet the United States on July 24 before facing Guinea and New Zealand in Group A.
Asian Under-23 champions Japan are in Group D alongside Paraguay, Mali and Israel. AFP
