The Olympics are widely regarded as the ‘greatest show on earth’ and are undoubtedly the most prestigious sporting spectacle in the world.
Football in the Olympics was introduced from its second edition in 1900 and since then it has been played in every edition except once in Los Angeles in 1932 as FIFA wanted to promote the World Cup which started in 1930.
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, FIFA decided to make football a U23 competition at the Olympics so that it would become a direct competition for the World Cup.
At the inaugural edition in 1900, Great Britain won the gold medal. Thereafter, Britain went on to win two more golds in the 1908 and 1912 editions making them the joint-most successful team along with Hungary in the Olympics.
Though, it has to be noted that in 1900 the team which represented Great Britain in football was an amateur football club from London named Upton Park FC. The club was dissolved in 1911. The other two gold medals were won by a proper Great Britan contingent,
Among South American teams, Argentina and Uruguay have won the title twice each. Argentina’s triumphs were in back-to-back editions in 2004 and 2008.
In the 2008 edition, Argentina star and captain Lionel Messi took part and won the gold medal. Brazil, who are five-time world champions, have won the gold medal just once in history at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Only five countries have won the gold medal in football two or more times. Let us find out the most successful teams in Olympic football,
Which teams have won the most Olympic gold medals in football?
| Team | No. of medals | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 3 | 1952, 1964, 1968 |
| Great Britain | 3 | 1900, 1908, 1912 |
| Argentina | 2 | 2004, 2008 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 1924, 1928 |
| Soviet Union | 2 | 1956, 1988 |
