Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament

The men's association football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

was held in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

and four other cities in the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

from 7 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA

FIFA

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

were invited to enter their men's U-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 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

2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture...

. 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

Nigeria national under-23 football team

Nigeria Olympic football team represents Nigeria in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except during the Olympic Games where the use of three overage players is allowed...

1–0 in the final.

Qualifying round

A National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committee

National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...

may enter one men's team in football competitions.

Competition	Date	Venue	Berths
Host Nation			1
AFC Preliminary Competition	Feb 2006 - Nov 2007	-	3
CAF Preliminary Competition 2008 CAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament Preliminary competition will be divided in three rounds. First two rounds will be knock-out rounds, and the final round will be a group stage.-First round:First leg played on September 1 to September 3, 2006. Second leg played on October 6 to October 8, 2006....	Sep 2006 - Mar 2008	-	3
CONCACAF Preliminary Competition 2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament The 2008 CONCACAF Men Pre-Olympic Tournament was an association football tournament that took place in three venues in the United States from March 11 to March 23, 2008....	Aug 2007 - Mar 2008		2
2007 South American Youth Championship 2007 South American Youth Championship The 2007 South American Youth Championship is a football competition contested by all ten U-20 national football teams of CONMEBOL. The tournament was held in Paraguay between January 7 and January 28, 2007, it was the 23rd time the competition has been held and the 4th to take place in Paraguay...	January 7-28, 2007		2
OFC Preliminary Competition	March 1-9, 2008		1
2007 UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....	June 10-23, 2007		4
TOTAL			16

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. A minimum of two goalkeepers (plus one optional alternate goalkeeper) had to be included in the squad.

Officials

Referee	Assistants
AFC Asian Football Confederation The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
Khalil Al Ghamdi	Mohammed Al Ghamdi Hamdi Al Kadrie
Abdullah Al Hilali Abdullah Al Hilali Abdullah Al Hilali is an association football referee for FIFA, and the Asian Football Confederation from Oman. He has performed at many international football competitions since 2002 including the 2008 Summer Olympics, the AFC Champions League 2009 and the World Cup 2010 qualifiers.A former...	Khaled Al Allan Saleh Al Marzouqi
Masoud Moradi Masoud Moradi Masoud Moradi is an Iranian retired football referee. Moradi has been a FIFA international referee since 2000.Moradi has been an Iran Pro League referee since 1998.Moradi has been an official in major competitions including the:...	Hassan Kamranifar Luay Subhi Adib
CAF Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
Jerome Damon Jerome Damon Jerome Damon is a South African football referee.An international referee since 2000, Damon was on stand-by for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was a referee at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.He was preselected as a...	Tshotleno Molefe Celestin Ntangungira
Badara Diatta	Evarist Menkouande Bachir Hassani
CONCACAF CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
Roberto Moreno Salazar	Daniel Williamson Hairo Fuentes Batista
Jair Marrufo Jair Marrufo Jair Marrufo is an American soccer referee. He has been a referee in Major League Soccer since 2002 and a FIFA referee since 2007. His father, Antonio Marrufo, was a FIFA referee from Mexico and served on the Mexican Referee Commission...	Ricardo Morgan Kermit Quisenberry

Referee	Assistants
CONMEBOL CONMEBOL The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
Héctor Baldassi Héctor Baldassi Héctor Walter Baldassi is an Argentine football referee. His first Argentine first division was in 1998 and only two years later he debuted internationally...	Ricardo Casas Hernán Maidana
Pablo Pozo Pablo Pozo Pablo Antonio Pozo is a former Chilean football referee. In 2008 Pozo refereed in the Beijing Olympics and the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. Pozo has also been pre-selected as one of 38 referees from around the world who could possibly referee in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa...	Julio Díaz Lobe Patricio Basualto Vargas
Martín Vázquez Martín Vázquez (referee) Martín Emilio Vázquez Broquetas is an Uruguayan football referee. He has been a FIFA international referee since 2001. He lives in Montevideo. He has refereed games at the 2008 Olympics, Copa Libertadores and qualifiers for 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup.He was preselected as a...	Mauricio Espinosa Rodríguez Miguel Ángel Nievas Acosta
OFC Oceania Football Confederation The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
Michael Hester Michael Hester Michael Hester , is a New Zealand association football referee in the A-League. Holder of a FIFA international license, he has participated at the highest level, officiating at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.-Biography:...	Tevita Makasini Michael Joseph
UEFA UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Thomas Einwaller Thomas Einwaller Thomas Einwaller is an Austrian football referee. He has been a FIFA international referee since 2005. He lives in Scheffau am Wilden Kaiser and works as a bank clerk...	Roland Heim Norbert Schwab
Viktor Kassai Viktor Kassai Viktor Kassai is a Hungarian football referee. He has participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he has been a full international for FIFA since 2003...	Gábor Erős Tibor Vámos
Stéphane Lannoy Stéphane Lannoy Stéphane Laurent Lannoy is a French football referee. Lannoy played football at an early age before moving into officiating matches. He has been a FIFA international referee since 2006. He lives in Sailly-sur-la-Lys and works as a video games distributor...	Eric Dansault Frederic Cano
Damir Skomina Damir Skomina Damir Skomina is a UEFA football referee from Slovenia.Skomina was the fourth referee at several UEFA Euro 2008 matches. At the tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics he was a referee at the quarterfinal match.- References :...	Primoz Arhar Marco Stancin
Wolfgang Stark Wolfgang Stark Wolfgang Stark , is a German football referee. He has refereed matches in the Champions League and qualifications to the European Football Championship and the World Cup...	Volker Wezel Jan-Hendrik Salver

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8

UTC+8

UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .With an estimated population of 1.53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22.5% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in world, as well as a possible...

Group A

4
Team
	3	3	0	0	5	1
9
	3	2	0	1	6	4
6
	3	0	1	2	1	3	−2	1
	3	0	1	2	3	7	−4	1

----

----

----

----

----

Group B

2
Team
	3	2	1	0	4	2
7
	3	1	2	0	3	2
5
	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
	3	0	0	3	1	4	−3	0

----

----

----

----

----

Group C

9
Team
	3	3	0	0	9	0
9
	3	2	0	1	3	1
6
	3	0	1	2	1	6	−5	1
	3	0	1	2	1	7	−6	1

----

----

----

----

----

Group D

6
Team
	3	2	1	0	6	0
7
	3	1	2	0	2	1
5
	3	1	1	1	2	4	−2	4
	3	0	0	3	0	5	−5	0

----

----

----

----

----

Stage 2

Quarterfinals

----

----

----

Semifinals

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Bronze medal match

Gold medal match

Medalists

Men's football

Goalscorers

4 goals Giuseppe Rossi

Giuseppe Rossi

Giuseppe Rossi is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club Villarreal CF and the Italian national team.- Early life :...

3 goals Moussa Dembélé

Moussa Dembélé

Moussa Sidi Yaya Dembélé is a Belgian footballer who currently plays as an Attacking Midfielder for Fulham in the English Premier League. He has a Malian father and a Belgian mother.-Early career:...

Victor Nsofor Obinna

Victor Nsofor Obinna is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a winger for FC Lokomotiv Moscow.-Biography:Obinna in Igbo, literally means "Father´s heart". He played for Chievo in Italy's Serie B, having played regularly in Serie A with the club until their relegation in 2007...

2 goals

Sergio Agüero

Sergio Agüero

Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team....

Ángel Di María

Ángel Fabián di María Hernández is an Argentine footballer who currently plays as a winger for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Argentine national team...

Ezequiel Lavezzi

Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi , nicknamed "El Pocho", is an Argentine football striker of Italian descent, who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Napoli and the Argentine national team.-Atlético Estudiantes:...

Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...

Kevin Mirallas

Kevin Antonio Mirallas is a Belgian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos, having previously played for Lille and Saint-Étienne. He has been capped by Belgium at international level.-Early years:...

Diego

Diego Ribas da Cunha

Diego Ribas da Cunha , commonly known as just Diego, is an international Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid on loan from VfL Wolfsburg, as an attacking midfielder.-Santos:...

Jô

JO, Jo or jo may refer to:*Jō, a ~4-foot-long wooden staff used in some Japanese martial arts*Cho , , also spelled Jo, a common Korean family name*Jo , a 1971 French comedy...

Thiago Neves Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...

Rafael Sóbis

Rafael Augusto Sóbis do Nascimento , commonly known as Rafael Sóbis, is a Brazilian footballer of Ukrainian descent, who plays for Fluminense.-Internacional:...

Sekou Cissé

Sekou Cissé is an Ivorian football winger, who plays in the Eredivisie, for the football club Feyenoord.- Career :...

Salomon Kalou

Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...

Gerald Sibon

Gerald Sibon is a Dutch football player who plays for Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen.-Europe:He featured for FC Twente in the 1993–94 season as a substitute but could only string together three games before deciding to sign for VVV-Venlo of the Eerste Divisie in the following season...

Chinedu Obasi Sacha Kljestan

Sacha Kljestan

Sacha Kljestan is an American soccer player who currently plays for Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division.-Youth and College:...

1 goal

Lautaro Acosta

Lautaro Acosta

Lautaro Germán Acosta is an Argentine footballer who plays for Racing de Santander on loan from Sevilla FC in La Liga, as a forward.-Lanús:...

Diego Buonanotte

Diego Mario Buonanotte Rende , is an Argentine footballer who plays for Málaga CF, as a attacking midfielder or winger.-River Plate:...

Juan Román Riquelme

Juan Román Riquelme is an Argentine footballer who plays for Boca Juniors. A longtime Argentine international, Riquelme is best known for his spells with Boca Juniors and Villarreal...

Ruben Zadkovich

Ruben Zadkovich is an Australian football player who attended Woonona High School in Wollongong NSW and currently plays for the Newcastle United Jets in the Hyundai A-League.-Club career:...

Laurent Ciman

Laurent Ciman is a professional football who plays as a defender for Standard Liège. He was transferred from R. Charleroi S.C. to Club Brugge in June 2008 and signed a 3 year contract for the Belgian team, he was loaned to K.V. Kortrijk for the 2009-2010...

Faris Haroun

Faris Haroun is a Belgian football player who plays in central midfield for Middlesbrough. He has also played for Belgium.- Middlesbrough :...

Anderson

Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira

Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira , best known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester United and the Brazil national team....

Hernanes

Anderson Hernanes de Carvalho Andrade Lima , commonly known as Hernanes is a Brazilian midfielder who currently plays for Lazio.Hernanes can be used as a playmaker in the centre attacking midfield role...

Marcelo Alexandre Pato

Alexandre Pato

Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva , commonly known as Alexandre Pato or simply Pato, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazilian national team. His nickname, Pato, refers to his place of birth, Pato Branco...

Georges Mandjeck

Georges Constant Mandjeck is a Cameroonian football midfielder who plays for French club Rennes in Ligue 1.-Stuttgart:...

Stéphane Mbia

Stéphane Mbia Etoundi is a Cameroonian football player who plays for French League 1 club Olympique Marseille.-Career:...

Dong Fangzhuo

Dong Fangzhuo is a Chinese footballer who plays as a forward for Mika in the Armenian Premier League.- China :Dong first came to prominence in 2000 when he was named Player of the Tournament in an U-17 football competition. He signed for Dalian Saidelong and helped them to finish as runners-up in...

Gervinho Robert Acquafresca

Robert Acquafresca

Robert Acquafresca is an Italian footballer of half-Polish descent who plays for Serie A club Bologna as a striker.-Club career:...

Sebastian Giovinco

Sebastian Giovinco is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Parma and the Italian national team. Giovinco is an attacking midfielder with noted dribbling skills, play-making skills and he is known for his freekicks....

Riccardo Montolivo

Riccardo Montolivo is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team. He was appointed club captain during the 2009–10 season.Montolivo is a prototypical "regista" , similar to Andrea Pirlo...

Tommaso Rocchi

Tommaso Rocchi is an Italian footballer who is the current captain of Serie A club Lazio. Rocchi has also been capped for the Italian national team.-Early years:...

Yohei Toyoda

is a Japanese football player. He currently plays for J. League division 2 side Sagan Tosu. He is a right-footed forward.After graduating from Seiryo High School, he joined Nagoya Grampus Eight. He made his first league appearance on August 21, 2004 against Júbilo Iwata. His first league goal came...

Kim Dong-Jin

Kim Dong-Jin is a South Korean footballer who plays for FC Seoul as left back. He can also play as a centre back.-Club career:...

Park Chu-Young

Park Chu-Young is a South Korean footballer who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League and is the current captain for the South Korea national team.-Youth career:...

Ryan Babel

Ryan Guno Babel is a Dutch football player who currently plays for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He can play as a left winger and as a striker. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad...

Otman Bakkal

Otman Bakkal is a Dutch international footballer of Moroccan origin who plays professionally for PSV as an attacking midfielder. He is currently on loan to Feyenoord.-Club career:...

Jeremy Brockie

Jeremy Russell Brockie is a New Zealand football player who was recently signed by the Newcastle Jets in the Hyundai A-League...

Olubayo Adefemi

Olubayo Adefemi was a Nigerian footballer.- International career :Adefemi represented his country at the 2008 Olympic Games, playing all the games and scoring a goal in a semifinal match against Belgium...

Victor Anichebe

Victor Chinedu Anichebe is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Everton. He has been described as a fast and powerful player, in the mould of a "traditional" centre forward, although has played on the right of midfield.-Early life:Anichebe was born in Nigeria but moved to Liverpool aged one, his...

Promise Isaac

Isaac Promise is a Nigerian football player, who currently plays for Turkish team Manisaspor as a striker.- Club career :When young, Promise went on trials with Nigerian second division side Grays International...

Peter Odemwingie

Peter Osaze Odemwingie is a footballer who plays as a winger or forward for Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. His name, Osaze, means "God chooses "....

Chibuzor Okonkwo

Chibuzor Okonkwo is a Nigerian Defender who plays football for Heartland.-Career:He is a right-footed full-back who can play on either side of the pitch. He came in January 2007 from Gabros International to Bayelsa United F.C., where he won the 2008-09 League MVP award after leading helping...

Miljan Mrdaković

Miljan Mrdakovic

Miljan Mrdaković is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for AEK Larnaca F.C. in Cyprus, as a striker.-Club career:...

Slobodan Rajković

Slobodan Rajkovic

Slobodan Rajković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a Centre back for Hamburger SV.-Club career:...

Đorđe Rakić Jozy Altidore

Jozy Altidore

Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player currently playing for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and for the United States national team....

Stuart Holden

Stuart Alistair Holden is an American football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League....

Own goals Slobodan Rajković

Slobodan Rajkovic

Slobodan Rajković is a Serbian footballer who plays as a Centre back for Hamburger SV.-Club career:...

(playing against Côte d'Ivoire)

External links

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