Football at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament final explained

2020 Summer Olympic men's football final
Event:Football at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament
Team1:Brazil
Team1association:
Team1score:2
Team2:Spain
Team2association:
Team2score:1
Details:After extra time
Stadium:International Stadium Yokohama
City:Yokohama
Referee:Chris Beath (Australia)
Attendance:0
Weather:Overcast
27°C
92% humidity[1]
Previous:2016
Next:2024

The 2020 Summer Olympic football gold medal match was a football match to determine the gold medal winners of men's football tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The match was the 25th final of the men's football tournament at the Olympics, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA to decide the Olympic champions. The match was held at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, on 7 August 2021.[2] It was played between the defending champions Brazil and Spain.[3]

Background

Since the Olympic men's football was restricted to an under-23 tournament in 1992, Brazil had played in two gold medal matches, losing to Mexico in 2012 before prevailing at home in 2016. Spain also had played twice in such occasion, winning in 1992 – also when they hosted the Olympics – and losing to Cameroon in 2000.

Albeit this was the first meeting between Brazil and Spain at the Olympic gold medal match, their senior and age-group teams had met in many finals before. The senior met in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final, in which Brazil beat the then-world champions 3–0. The two countries also met in the 1985 and 2003 FIFA World Youth Championships, as well as the final of the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship; Brazil won in all occasions.

Venue

The final was held at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, located in the Kanagawa Prefecture.

The stadium had hosted numerous international sporting events. It hosted a semi-final and the final of the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as three matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup including the final; Brazil's senior team won the latter.[4]

Referee

The referee in charge of the match was Australian Chris Beath, a native of Queensland, who had officiated two previous matches in the tournament; Group A match between Mexico and France and quarter final match between Brazil and Egypt. Beath had two assistant linesmen also from Australia.[5]

Route to the final

Round
OpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult
Match 1
Match 2
Match 3
Group D winnersFinal standingsGroup C winners
OpponentResultKnockout stageOpponentResult
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals

Match

Details

width=25!width=25
GK 1 Aderbar Santos
RB 13Dani Alves (c)
CB 15Nino
CB 3 Diego Carlos
LB 6 Guilherme Arana
CM 5 Douglas Luiz
CM 8 Bruno Guimarães
RW 11Antony
LW 20Claudinho
CF 9 Matheus Cunha
CF 10Richarlison
Substitutes:
GK 12Brenno
DF 4 Ricardo Graça
MF 2 Gabriel Menino
MF 18Matheus Henrique
MF 19Reinier
FW 7 Paulinho
FW 17Malcom
Head coach:
André Jardine
width=25!width=25
GK 1 Unai Simón
RB 18Óscar Gil
CB 12Eric García
CB 4 Pau Torres
LB 3 Marc Cucurella
DM 6 Martín Zubimendi
CM 8 Mikel Merino (c)
CM 16Pedri
RF 7 Marco Asensio
CF 11Mikel Oyarzabal
LF 19Dani Olmo
Substitutes:
GK 13Álvaro Fernández
DF 5 Jesús Vallejo
DF 20Juan Miranda
MF 14Carlos Soler
MF 15Jon Moncayola
MF 21Bryan Gil
FW 9 Rafa Mir
Head coach:
Luis de la Fuente
Assistant referees


Anton Schetinin (Australia)
George Lakrindis (Australia)
Fourth official


Artur Soares Dias (Portugal)
Reserve assistant referee


Rui Tavares (Portugal)
Video assistant referee


Abdulla Al-Marri (Qatar)
Assistant video assistant referees


Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)
Chris Penso (United States)

Post-match

Following the final, Brazil became only the fifth team to retain the Olympic title in men's football, after Great Britain, Uruguay, Hungary, and Argentina. In winning the tournament, Brazil's captain Dani Alves extended his own record of being the most decorated footballer in history with 43 career team honours.[6] [7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Start List: Match 28, BRA vs ESP. Olympics.com. 7 August 2021. 7 August 2021. 6 October 2021. International Olympic Committee. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006120141/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/FBL/OG2020-_FBL_C51_FBLMTEAM11------------FNL-000100--.pdf. dead.
  2. Web site: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Football Tournament: Match Schedule . FIFA.com . Fédération Internationale de Football Association . 6 February 2020.
  3. Web site: Brazil 2 Spain 1. 7 August 2021. BBC Sport. 9 August 2021.
  4. Web site: INTERNATIONAL STADIUM YOKOHAMA . FIFA.com . Fédération Internationale de Football Association . 15 July 2021.
  5. News: Monteverde. Marco. Olympics: Chris Beath to referee men’s football decider, assisted by fellow Aussies Anton Shchetinin and George Lakrindis. News.com.au. 21 June 2022. 6 August 2021.
  6. Web site: Brazil edge Spain in men’s Olympic football final thanks to Malcom’s magic. Barney. Ronay. 7 August 2021. The Guardian. 9 August 2021.
  7. Web site: At 38, Alves helps Brazil to soccer gold by beating Spain. Rob. Harris. 7 August 2021 . Associated Press. 20 August 2021.