Rio Olympics 2016 Football: 5 players who will be in the limelight

The biggest sporting event in the world, the Rio Olympics, starts on 5 August in Rio de Janeiro and football fans are already celebrating as they will get a chance to see some competitive action until the new season starts.

Some big teams in Argentina, Germany, Brazil and Portugal are participating in this year’s Olympics Football. The Olympics allows only 3 players over the age of 23 to be a part of the squad. However, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi won’t be seen donning their country’s colours in the upcoming tournament.

That doesn’t mean there aren't any star players to watch in the event. The tournament will have a delicate mix of both young talents as well as the experience of the stars. However, most of the fans’ eyes will be on the popular figures.

We take a look at five players who are expected to hog the spotlight in the Rio Olympics 2016:

---

#1 Neymar

The Brazilian superstar is surely the one to get the most spotlight in the upcoming Olympics. Neymar has been the most successful player for Brazil in recent years, already having scored an impressive 46 goals in 70 matches for the Selecao.

Neymar made his Brazil debut in August 2010 under the then coach Mano Menezes. At just 18 years old, he got to wear the number 11 jersey and scored on his debut against the USA in a 2-0 win.

The forward was a part of the Brazil football contingent in the 2012 London Olympics. However, he could not help the Selecao to an Olympic Gold as they lost 2-1 to Mexico in the final at Wembley and had to settle for silver.

Having signed for Barcelona in 2013, Neymar guided the Blaugrana to Champions League glory in 2015 and established himself as one of the best players in the world. He was rested by Brazil for the Copa America Centenario earlier this year and Brazil fans will hope that the attacking phenomenon can help them win their first Olympic Gold.