Man City star Julian Alvarez and PSG's Achraf Hakimi are among those going for gold at Paris 2024, looking to follow in the steps of some superstars
Though the men's football tournament at the Olympic Games is an Under-23 competition, that hasn't stopped many of the sport's most recognisable and iconic names from winning Olympic gold over the years. From Pep Guardiola to Lionel Messi, many have triumphed at the biggest sporting event in the world, either in their youth or later on, as one of three over-age players allowed to compete.
The prestige that the Olympics carries is huge, as evidenced by stars like Kylian Mbappe being so keen to play at it, though the France star's clubs don't tend to share his enthusiasm given the extra strain it would put on him. Given its U23 format, the Games can give a glimpse at the next generation and, in turn, which countries could be set to thrive in years to come. Spain's Euro 2024-winning squad, for example, featured seven names from the one that won Olympic silver medal in 2021.
But who are the footballing superstars who have gone one better and claimed an Olympic gold medal? As Paris 2024 prepares to kick-off, at which the likes of Julian Alvarez, Alexandre Lacazette and Achraf Hakimi will compete, GOAL looks back at some of the biggest names to stand on top of the podium in the men's football tournament…
Getty ImagesFerenc Puskas
No nation has won more Olympic gold medals in men's football than Hungary, tied on three with Great Britain, and the first of those triumphant teams featured the country's greatest ever player, Ferenc Puskas. Aged 25 at the time, Puskas opened the scoring in the 1952 gold medal match as Hungary beat Yugoslavia 2-0.
This feat came some six years before he made the monumental switch to Real Madrid, where he would win 10 trophies – including three European Cups. Puskas' status as one of the sport's greats is evident in the fact that, in 2009, FIFA named the award for the most beautiful goal of the year after him.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLev Yashin
Another great of the game to have an accolade named after him, Lev Yashin was in goal for the Soviet Union at the 1956 Olympics and kept three clean sheets, including one in the final, as they beat Yugoslavia in Melbourne to win gold. Four years later, the two teams would meet in the final of the inaugural European Championships in Paris and the outcome was the same, with Yashin named to the Team of the Tournament as the Soviet Union became champions of Europe.
Now, annually awards the Yashin Trophy to the best goalkeeper of the year, cementing the legacy of the only player in that position to have ever won the Ballon d'Or.
Getty Pep Guardiola
Two of the current era's most recognisable managers won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, one of them being Pep Guardiola. There were 95,000 people packed into Camp Nou as Spain beat Poland 3-2 in a dramatic final, with former Atletico Madrid striker Kiko scoring a 91st minute winner for his country.
Guardiola, who had scored the first goal in Spain's tournament-opening win over Colombia a couple of weeks earlier, was in midfield that day. It was the only honour the current Manchester City boss would win with his country, despite him lifting 15 trophies in the colours of Barcelona. He has since gone on to become one of the greatest managers of all time, winning 38 titles across spells with Barca, Bayern Munich and Man City.
getty imagesLuis Enrique
Also in midfield on that summer's day in Barcelona was Luis Enrique, another future manager of the Catalan club. Aged 22 at the time, one year older than Guardiola, he too would not win another title with Spain, despite also going on to coach the national team.
At the time of the Olympics, Enrique was actually playing for Real Madrid, with whom he won three major trophies before joining Barca in 1996. He would spend eight years in Catalunya and begin his coaching journey there, taking over the B team before being appointed first team boss some six years later, following time in charge of Roma and Celta Vigo. Today, Enrique is manager of Paris Saint-Germain.
