Football at the 1968 Summer Olympics — 1968 edition of the association football tournament during the Olympic Summer Games
The 1968 Olympic football tournament marked the first time an Asian nation, Japan, won a medal in the event.
Key Facts
- Host city
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Teams participating
- 16 men's national teams
- Continental confederations
- 5
- Gold medal match venue
- Azteca Stadium
- Gold medal match date
- 26 October 1968
- First Asian medal
- Japan (bronze)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, FIFA and the IOC organized an association football tournament bringing together 16 men's national teams from five continental confederations, drawn into four groups of four for round-robin play.
The tournament ran through a group stage followed by knockout rounds, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. The gold medal match was held on 26 October 1968 at the Azteca Stadium, concluding the competition.
Japan's bronze medal finish made history as the first time an Asian team earned a medal in Olympic football, signaling a broader emergence of Asian nations in international football competition.
Result
at Azteca Stadium, Mexico City