Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics — 2008 edition of association football at the Olympic Summer Games
Olympic football in 2008 featured 16 men's U-23 and 12 women's national teams competing across multiple Chinese cities during the Beijing Games.
Key Facts
- Host country
- People's Republic of China
- Men's tournament teams
- 16 teams
- Women's tournament teams
- 12 teams
- Competition dates
- 6–23 August 2008
- Men's age rule
- U-23 squads, up to 3 over-23 players allowed
- Preliminary matches start
- 6 August, two days before Opening Ceremony
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, FIFA-affiliated associations were invited to send women's full national teams and men's U-23 squads to compete in Olympic football. Men's teams were permitted to include up to three over-age players, following established Olympic football eligibility rules.
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held from 6 to 23 August across Beijing and several other Chinese cities. The men's competition featured 16 teams in a tournament format, while the women's competition comprised 12 teams. Preliminary matches began on 6 August, two days ahead of the official Opening Ceremony on 8 August.
The tournament concluded on 23 August 2008, providing an international stage for young men's footballers and top women's national teams. The multi-city format distributed matches across China, broadening the Olympic football audience beyond the host capital and reinforcing football's prominence within the Summer Games programme.