Football at the 2012 Summer Olympics — 2012 edition of the association football torunaments during the Olympic Summer Games
The 2012 Olympic football tournament was the only event to begin before the Games' opening ceremony, spanning six UK cities with 504 players competing.
Key Facts
- Tournament dates
- 25 July – 11 August 2012
- Total players
- 504 players
- Men's teams
- 16 teams
- Women's teams
- 12 teams
- Finals venue
- Wembley Stadium, London
- Host cities outside London
- Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Coventry, Cardiff
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
FIFA-affiliated associations were invited to send senior women's national teams and under-23 men's national teams to compete at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Men's squads were permitted to include up to three over-age players. The tournament draw was held on 24 April 2012, setting the brackets for both competitions.
The association football tournament ran from 25 July to 11 August 2012, beginning two days before the official Olympic opening ceremony — the only sport to do so. Matches were held across six UK cities, with 504 players contesting gold medals in a 16-team men's under-23 tournament and a 12-team women's tournament.
Finals in both the men's and women's competitions were held at Wembley Stadium, awarding two sets of gold medals. The tournament's multi-city format and pre-ceremony start distinguished it as uniquely expansive within the London 2012 Games, spreading Olympic football across England, Scotland, and Wales.