1996 Men's Olympic Football Tournament
Tournament details
Host countryUnited States
DatesJuly 20 – August 3
Teams16 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)5 (in 5 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Nigeria (1st title)
Runners-up Argentina
Third place Brazil
Fourth place Portugal
Tournament statistics
Matches played32
Goals scored90 (2.81 per match)
Top scorer(s)Brazil Bebeto
Argentina Hernán Crespo
(6 goals each)

The 1996 Men's Olympic Football Tournament, played as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics, was hosted in Birmingham, Alabama, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida, Miami, Florida and Athens, Georgia.[1][2][3][4] From 1992 onwards, male competitors should be under 23 years old and starting from this tournament, a maximum of three over-23 players are allowed per squad. The tournament featured 16 national teams from the six continental confederations. The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four and each group played a round-robin tournament. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams advanced to the knockout stage, beginning with the quarter-finals and culminating with the gold medal match at Sanford Stadium on August 3, 1996.[5]

Competition schedule

The match schedule of the tournament.[6]

Legend
GGroup stage¼Quarterfinals½SemifinalsBBronze medal matchFGold medal match
20 Sat21 Sun22 Mon23 Tue24 Wed25 Thu26 Fri27 Sat28 Sun29 Lun30 Tue31 Wed1 Thu2 Fri3 Sat
GGGGGG¼¼½½BF

Venues

Orlando Birmingham Miami
Citrus Bowl Legion Field Orange Bowl
Capacity: 65,000 Capacity: 81,700 Capacity: 74,476
Athens Washington, D.C.
Sanford Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Capacity: 86,100 Capacity: 56,500

Qualification

The following 16 teams qualified for the 1996 Olympic men's football tournament:

Means of qualificationBerthsQualified
Host nation1 United States
1996 CONCACAF Preliminary Competition1 Mexico (winner)
1996 AFC Preliminary Competition3 South Korea (winner)
 Japan (runner-up)
 Saudi Arabia (third-place)
1996 CAF Preliminary Competition3 Ghana
 Tunisia
 Nigeria
1996 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament2 Brazil (winner)
 Argentina (runner-up)
CONCACAF–OFC play-off1 Australia
1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship5 Italy (winner)
 Spain (runner-up)
 France (third-place)
 Hungary (5th)
 Portugal (6th)
Total16

Match officials

Seeding

The draw for the tournament took place on 5 May 1996. United States, Spain, Ghana and Brazil were seeded for the draw and placed into groups A–D, respectively. The remaining teams, excluding Europe, were drawn from four pots away from teams from the same region.

Pot 1: Host, Top-Seeded teams from Africa, Europe and South America Pot 2: Asia, Non-top seeded team from South America Pot 3: Non-top seeded teams from Europe Pot 4: Non-top seeded teams from Africa and North America, Inter-continental playoff winner

1 1996 CONCACAF Pre-Olympic Tournament Champions, team not determined at time of draw.

2 CONCACAF–OFC play-off winner, team not determined at time of draw.

Squads

Group stage

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Argentina 3 1 2 0 5 3 +2 5
 Portugal 3 1 2 0 4 2 +2 5
 United States 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
 Tunisia 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
Source: FIFA
Portugal 2–0 Tunisia
Martins 13', 68' Report
Attendance: 34,796
Referee: Pereira (BRA)
United States 1–3 Argentina
Reyna 1' Report G. López 26'
Crespo 55'
Simeone 90'
Attendance: 83,183
Referee: Bouchardeau (NIG)
Argentina 1–1 Portugal
Ortega 45' Report Nuno Gomes 70'
Attendance: 25,811
Referee: Al Mehannah (KSA)
United States 2–0 Tunisia
Kirovski 38'
Maisonneuve 90'		 Report
Attendance: 45,687
Referee: Dallas (GBR)
Argentina 1–1 Tunisia
Ortega 5' Report Mkacher 74'
Attendance: 16,826
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)
United States 1–1 Portugal
Maisonneuve 75' Report Paulo Alves 33'
Attendance: 58,012
Referee: Lennie (AUS)

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 France 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7
 Spain 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
 Australia 3 1 0 2 4 6 −2 3
 Saudi Arabia 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0
Source: FIFA
Spain 1–0 Saudi Arabia
Óscar 80' Report
Attendance: 28,774
Referee: Collina (ITA)
France 2–0 Australia
Pires 11'
Maurice 74'		 Report
Attendance: 14,322
Referee: Ruscio (ARG)
France 1–1 Spain
Legwinski 38' Report Óscar 85'
Attendance: 16,773
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)
Australia 2–1 Saudi Arabia
Tsekenis 11'
Viduka 63'		 Report Al-Khilaiwi 37'
Attendance: 5,997
Referee: Baharmast (USA)
Spain 3–2 Australia
Raúl 40', 90'
Santi 86'		 Report Vidmar 3', 12'
Attendance: 12,050
Referee: Dallas (GBR)
France 2–1 Saudi Arabia
Maurice 20' (pen.)
Sibierski 49'		 Report Anwar 26'
Attendance: 4,615
Referee: Archundia (MEX)

Group C

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Mexico 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
 Ghana 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
 South Korea 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
 Italy 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
Source: FIFA
South Korea 1–0 Ghana
Yoon Jong-hwan 41' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 45,946
Referee: Lennie (AUS)
Mexico 1–0 Italy
Palencia 83' Report
Attendance: 44,211
Referee: Dallas (GBR)
Mexico 0–0 South Korea
Report
Attendance: 26,111
Referee: Bouchardeau (NIG)
Ghana 3–2 Italy
Saba 15', 74'
Ahinful 63' (pen.)		 Report Branca 8', 44' (pen.)
Attendance: 27,849
Referee: Garcia Aranda (ESP)
Mexico 1–1 Ghana
Abundis 65' Report Ebenzer 44'
Attendance: 30,237
Referee: Pereira (BRA)
Italy 2–1 South Korea
Branca 24', 82' Report Lee Ki-hyung 62'
Attendance: 28,319
Referee: Ruscio (ARG)

Group D

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Brazil 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6
 Nigeria 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6
 Japan 3 2 0 1 4 4 0 6
 Hungary 3 0 0 3 3 7 −4 0
Source: FIFA
Japan 1–0 Brazil
Ito 72' Report
Attendance: 46,713
Referee: Archundia (MEX)
Nigeria 1–0 Hungary
Kanu 77' Report
Attendance: 25,303
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)
Brazil 3–1 Hungary
Ronaldo 35'
Juninho 61'
Bebeto 84'		 Report Madar 58'
Attendance: 34,871
Referee: Al-Ghandour (EGY)
Nigeria 2–0 Japan
Akiba 83' (o.g.)
Okocha 90' (pen.)		 Report
Attendance: 22,734
Referee: Collina (ITA)
Brazil 1–0 Nigeria
Ronaldo 30' Report
Attendance: 55,650
Referee: Baharmast (USA)
Japan 3–2 Hungary
Maezono 39' (pen.), 90+1'
Uemura 90'		 Report Sandor 2'
Madar 48'
Attendance: 20,834
Referee: Bouchardeau (NIG)

Knockout stage

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsGold medal match
 
          
 
July 27 – Miami
 
 
 Portugal (asdet)2
 
July 30 – Athens
 
 France1
 
 Portugal0
 
July 27 – Birmingham
 
 Argentina2
 
 Argentina4
 
August 3 – Athens
 
 Spain0
 
 Argentina2
 
July 28 – Birmingham
 
 Nigeria3
 
 Mexico0
 
July 31 – Athens
 
 Nigeria2
 
 Nigeria (asdet)4
 
July 28 – Miami
 
 Brazil3 Bronze medal match
 
 Brazil4
 
August 2 – Athens
 
 Ghana2
 
 Portugal0
 
 
 Brazil5
 

Quarter-finals

Portugal 2–1 (asdet) France
Capucho 7'
Calado gold-colored soccer ball 105'  (pen.)		 Report Maurice 49' (pen.)
Attendance: 22,339
Referee: Collina (ITA)
Argentina 4–0 Spain
Crespo 47', 88' (pen.)
Aranzábal 52' (o.g.)
C. López 66'		 Report
Attendance: 43,507
Referee: Al-Ghandour (EGY)
Mexico 0–2 Nigeria
Report Okocha 20'
C. Babayaro 84'
Attendance: 44,788
Referee: Al Mehannah (KSA)
Brazil 4–2 Ghana
Dodoo 18' (o.g.)
Ronaldo 56', 62'
Bebeto 72'		 Report Akonnor 23'
Aboagye 53'
Attendance: 45,257
Referee: Un-Prasert (THA)

Semi-finals

Portugal 0–2 Argentina
Report Crespo 55', 61'
Attendance: 78,212
Referee: Baharmast (USA)
Nigeria 4–3 (asdet) Brazil
Roberto Carlos 20' (o.g.)
Ikpeba 78'
Kanu 90', gold-colored soccer ball 94' 		Report Flávio 1', 38'
Bebeto 28'
Attendance: 78,587
Referee: Garcia Aranda (ESP)

Bronze medal match

Brazil 5–0 Portugal
Ronaldo 5'
Flávio 11'
Bebeto 47', 54', 75'		 Report
Attendance: 68,173
Referee: Al-Ghandour (EGY)

Gold medal match

1996 Summer Olympics Football Final
Nigeria 3–2 Argentina
Babayaro 28'
Amokachi 74'
Amunike 90'		 Report C. López 3'
Crespo 50' (pen.)
Attendance: 86,117
Referee: Collina (ITA)
Team details

Final ranking

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Nigeria (NGR) 6 5 0 1 12 6 +6 15
2  Argentina (ARG) 6 3 2 1 13 6 +7 11
3  Brazil (BRA) 6 4 0 2 16 8 +8 12
4  Portugal (POR) 6 2 2 2 6 10 −4 8
5  France (FRA) 4 2 1 1 6 4 +2 7
6  Spain (ESP) 4 2 1 1 5 7 −2 7
7  Mexico (MEX) 4 1 2 1 2 3 −1 5
8  Ghana (GHA) 4 1 1 2 6 8 −2 4
9  Japan (JPN) 3 2 0 1 4 4 0 6
10  United States (USA) 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
11  South Korea (KOR) 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
12  Italy (ITA) 3 1 0 2 4 5 −1 3
13  Australia (AUS) 3 1 0 2 4 6 −2 3
14  Tunisia (TUN) 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
15  Saudi Arabia (KSA) 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0
16  Hungary (HUN) 3 0 0 3 3 7 −4 0
Source: FIFA

Goalscorers

With six goals, Hernán Crespo of Argentina and Bebeto of Brazil are the top scorers of the tournament. In total, 90 goals were scored by 55 different players, with four of them credited as own goals.

Hernán Crespo (left) and Bebeto, top scorers with 6 goals each
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Own goals

References

  1. ↑ "The inside story of Nigeria's Atlanta '96 gold medal – SuperSport – Football". SuperSport. July 25, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  2. ↑ Penner, Mike (August 1, 1996). "Defense Rests for a Stunned Brazil – Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ↑ Penner, Mike (August 4, 1996). "Nigeria's Eagles Catch Argentina in Its Own Trap – Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Soccer : Results : Men's Competition Notebook". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Football at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Soccer : Results : Men's Competition Notebook". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
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