Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics — 1996 edition of the association football torunaments during the Olympic Summer Games
The 1996 Atlanta Olympics introduced women's football and new under-23 rules for men, with Nigeria becoming the first African nation to win Olympic football gold.
Key Facts
- Men's final result
- Nigeria defeated Argentina 3–2
- Women's final result
- United States defeated China 2–1
- First women's Olympic football
- Introduced at these Games for the first time
- Under-23 rule debut
- First men's tournament under modern under-23 rules (3 overage allowed)
- Nigeria's milestone
- First African country to win Olympic football gold
- Tournament dates
- July 20 – August 3, 1996
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1996 Summer Olympics, hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, included football as part of its programme. FIFA and the IOC had agreed to new eligibility rules for men's football limiting squads to under-23 players with three overage exceptions, and the IOC approved the addition of a women's football competition for the first time.
Football competitions were held from July 20 to August 3, 1996. In the men's final, Nigeria defeated Argentina 3–2, while in the inaugural women's final, the United States defeated China 2–1. Multiple historic firsts were recorded across both tournaments during the Atlanta Games.
Nigeria became the first African nation to win an Olympic football gold medal, and the United States became the first North American nation to win gold in the sport. The inaugural women's tournament established Olympic women's football as a permanent fixture and helped raise the sport's global profile for future Games.
Result
at Atlanta, Georgia, United States