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Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Olympic football tournament
Olympic football tournament
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| type | Summer Olympics |
| year | 1996 |
| image | Football, Atlanta 1996.png |
| image_size | 150 |
| caption | Football pictogram for the 1996 Summer Olympics |
| country | United States |
| venues | 5 |
| cities | 5 |
| dates | July 20 – August 3, 1996 |
| competitors | 388 |
| nations | 21 |
| men_teams | 16 |
| men_confederations | 6 |
| men_gold | NGR |
| men_silver | ARG |
| men_bronze | BRA |
| women_teams | 8 |
| women_confederations | 4 |
| women_gold | USA |
| women_silver | CHN |
| women_bronze | NOR |
| prev | 1992 |
| next | 2000 |
Football was contested as part of the programme for the 1996 Summer Olympics which was hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, United States from July 20 to August 3, 1996. It was the 20th edition of the men's football tournament and the first edition of the women's football tournament.
In the men's tournament, Nigeria defeated Argentina 3-2 in the final. In the women's tournament, the United States defeated China 2-1 in the final.
A number of firsts occurred during the 1996 Games. Alongside the first women's tournament, the games marked the first occasion in which the under-23 rules were implemented in the men's tournament. Nigeria were the first African country to win gold and only the second African country overall to win a medal of any color in football. The United States were the first country from North America to win gold and China were the first country from Asia to win a medal of any color in football.
Venues
Although the 1996 Summer Olympics were hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, none of the football matches were played in the city. The matches were spread around five venues in east and southeast United States. The gold medal matches were played at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
| Athens, Georgia | Birmingham, Alabama | Miami, Florida | {{location map+ | USA | float=center | width=420 | caption= | places= | Orlando, Florida | Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Stadium | Legion Field | Orange Bowl | ||||||||
| Capacity: 86,117 | Capacity: 81,700 | Capacity: 74,476 | ||||||||
| [[File:Sanford Stadium, Tennessee game 2016.jpg | 160x160px]] | [[File:Legion Field Aerial 2015.PNG | 145x145px]] | [[File:Orange Bowl.jpg | 160x160px]] | |||||
| Citrus Bowl | Robert F. Kennedy Stadium | |||||||||
| Capacity: 65,000 | Capacity: 56,500 | |||||||||
| [[File:Citrus Bowl aerial view.jpg | 180x180px]] | [[File:RFK Stadium aerial photo, 1988.JPEG | 182x182px]] |
Overview
Men's tournament
Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
The 1996 Summer Olympics saw the introduction of the under-23 rules for the men's football tournament. Teams were made up of players under the age of 23 with a maximum of three overage players allowed.
In the gold medal match, Nigeria defeated Argentina 3–2. In doing so, they became the first African country to win a gold medal in football, four years after Ghana became the first African team to win a medal of any colour. Brazil won bronze after a 5–0 win over Portugal.
Women's tournament
Main article: Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament
In the inaugural women's tournament, the United States won the gold medal after defeating China in the final. Despite football having been part of the Olympics since 1908, only teams from Europe and South America had won medals. As a result, the United States and China were the first countries from North America and Asia respectively to win medals in football. Norway won bronze after defeating Brazil 2–0.
Medal winners
Men
| Men's football | NGR |
|---|---|
| Emmanuel Babayaro | |
| Celestine Babayaro | |
| Taribo West | |
| Nwankwo Kanu | |
| Uche Okechukwu | |
| Emmanuel Amunike | |
| Tijani Babangida | |
| Wilson Oruma | |
| Teslim Fatusi | |
| Jay-Jay Okocha | |
| Victor Ikpeba | |
| Abiodun Obafemi | |
| Garba Lawal | |
| Daniel Amokachi | |
| Sunday Oliseh | |
| Kingsley Obiekwu | |
| Mobi Oparaku | |
| Dosu Joseph | ARG |
| Carlos Bossio | |
| Roberto Ayala | |
| José Chamot | |
| Javier Zanetti | |
| Matías Almeyda | |
| Roberto Sensini | |
| Claudio López | |
| Diego Simeone | |
| Hernán Crespo | |
| Ariel Ortega | |
| Hugo Morales | |
| Pablo Cavallero | |
| Héctor Pineda | |
| Pablo Paz | |
| Christian Bassedas | |
| Gustavo López | |
| Marcelo Delgado | |
| Marcelo Gallardo | BRA |
| Dida | |
| Zé María | |
| Aldair | |
| Ronaldo Guiaro | |
| Flávio Conceição | |
| Roberto Carlos | |
| Bebeto | |
| Amaral | |
| Ronaldo | |
| Rivaldo | |
| Sávio | |
| Danrlei | |
| Narciso | |
| André Luiz | |
| Zé Elias | |
| Marcelinho | |
| Luizão | |
| Juninho |
Women
| Women's football | USA |
|---|---|
| Briana Scurry | |
| Mary Harvey | |
| Cindy Parlow | |
| Carla Overbeck | |
| Tiffany Roberts | |
| Brandi Chastain | |
| Staci Wilson | |
| Shannon MacMillan | |
| Mia Hamm | |
| Michelle Akers | |
| Julie Foudy | |
| Carin Gabarra | |
| Kristine Lilly | |
| Joy Fawcett | |
| Tisha Venturini | |
| Tiffeny Milbrett | |
| Amanda Cromwell | |
| Thori Staples Bryan | |
| Saskia Webber | CHN |
| Zhong Honglian | |
| Wang Liping | |
| Fan Yunjie | |
| Yu Hongqi | |
| Xie Huilin | |
| Zhao Lihong | |
| Wei Haiying | |
| Shui Qingxia | |
| Sun Wen | |
| Liu Ailing | |
| Sun Qingmei | |
| Wen Lirong | |
| Liu Ying | |
| Chen Yufeng | |
| Shi Guihong | |
| Gao Hong | |
| Zhang Yan | |
| Niu Lijie | NOR |
| Bente Nordby | |
| Agnete Carlsen | |
| Gro Espeseth | |
| Nina Nymark Andersen | |
| Merete Myklebust | |
| Hege Riise | |
| Anne Nymark Andersen | |
| Heidi Støre | |
| Marianne Pettersen | |
| Linda Medalen | |
| Brit Sandaune | |
| Reidun Seth | |
| Tina Svensson | |
| Tone Haugen | |
| Trine Tangeraas | |
| Ann Kristin Aarønes | |
| Tone Gunn Frustøl | |
| Kjersti Thun | |
| Ingrid Sternhoff |
Match officials
FIFA named 16 referees and 16 assistant referees to be shared between the men's and women's tournaments.
| Confederation | Referee |
|---|---|
| Male officials | |
| AFC | Omer Al Mehannah (Saudi Arabia) |
| Pirom Un-prasert (Thailand) | |
| CAF | Gamal Al-Ghandour (Egypt) |
| Lucien Bouchardeau (Niger) | |
| CONCACAF | Benito Archundia (Mexico) |
| Esfandiar Baharmast (United States) | |
| CONMEBOL | Antônio Pereira (Brazil) |
| Roberto Ruscio (Argentina) | |
| OFC | Eddie Lennie (Australia) |
| UEFA | Pierluigi Collina (Italy) |
| Hugh Dallas (Scotland) | |
| José María García-Aranda (Spain) | |
| Female officials | |
| CONCACAF | Sonia Denoncourt (Canada) |
| CONMEBOL | Cláudia Vasconcelos (Brazil) |
| UEFA | Ingrid Jonsson (Sweden) |
| Bente Ovedie Skogvang (Norway) |
| Confederation | Assistant referee |
|---|---|
| Male officials | |
| AFC | Jeon Young-hyun (South Korea) |
| Mohamed Al-Musawi (Oman) | |
| CAF | Dramane Dante (Mali) |
| Amir Osman Mohamed Hamid (Sudan) | |
| CONCACAF | Peter Kelly (Trinidad and Tobago) |
| Luis Fernando Torres Zúñiga (Costa Rica) | |
| CONMEBOL | Jorge Luis Arango (Colombia) |
| Carlos Velázquez (Uruguay) | |
| OFC | Lencie Fred (Vanuatu) |
| UEFA | Yuri Dupanov (Belarus) |
| Heiner Neuenstein (Germany) | |
| Akif Uğurdur (Turkey) | |
| Female officials | |
| CONCACAF | Janice Gettemeyer (United States) |
| María del Socorro Rodríguez (Mexico) | |
| UEFA | Gitte Holm (Denmark) |
| Nelly Viennot (France) |
References
References
- Stokkermans, Karel. (21 November 1999). "Games of the XXVI. Olympiad Football Tournament". RSSSF.
- Stokkermans, Karel. (19 February 2020). "Games of the XXVI. Olympiad Women Football Tournament". RSSSF.
- Aarhus, Lars. (29 August 2024). "Football Tournament of the Olympic Games - Overview". RSSSF.
- "Olympic Games 1996 » Referees". World Football.
- "Women Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta » Referees". World Football.
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