What is the Tokyo Olympics football age limit?
The football age limit for the Tokyo Olympics 2021 set to take place this month has been fixed at 23. The participating nations have already named strong squads for the showpiece event, with some of the sport's brightest young stars battling it out in Japan for the prestigious gold medal.
Football at the Olympics has traditionally taken the form of an under-23 tournament and this year's competition will follow a similar format. There are 16 teams participating in the men's football tournament hosted by the Tokyo Olympics, with each team being drafted into one of four groups.
The women's football tournament, on the other hand, sees 12 international teams competing with each other for silverware at the Tokyo Olympics. The likes of Great Britain, Canada, and the USA have named strong squads for the competition and will be intent on securing a gold medal.
The men's tournament also features its fair share of heavyweights with France, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Germany taking part in Olympics football this summer. Many of these teams have already participated in high-profile international competitions this summer and have tapped into their commendable depth to name young squads for the Tokyo Olympics.
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Tokyo Olympics football features young squads with a select few veteran names
The Tokyo Olympics have followed a precedent that has been set in stone since 1996, with a maximum of three players above the age of 23 allowed in each football squad.
With Euro 2020 and Copa America 2021 contributing to a hectic schedule this year, the big names in international football have used this rule to good effect and have given some of their experienced names a chance.
Dani Alves, for instance, has been named in Brazil's Olympics football squad and is set to lead his country's young guns to a medal at the competition. Mikel Merino, Franck Kessie, and Florian Thauvin are some of the other high-profile experienced players participating in the Olympics.
Spain have one of the most impressive squads in the Olympics with Euro 2020 star Pedri featuring in midfield. With the likes of Mikel Oyarzabal, Bryan Gil, Dani Ceballos, and Marco Asensio in their ranks, the Spaniards have made full use of their robust domestic structure to name a formidable squad this summer.
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