2012 London Summer Olympics - Football Soccer Tournament

Dates: Wednesday 25 July – Saturday 11 August

Medal events: 2

Athletes:  504 (288 men, 216 women; 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams).

Football will be a major feature of the Olympic programme at London 2012. Beginning with group matches and ending with a knockout phase, the competition will offer all the drama that fans have come to expect from major international tournaments. There will be two medal events at London 2012, one for men’s teams and one for women.

Due to the intense schedule, the Football competition actually kicks off two days before the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony with the first group matches. At London 2012, the men’s competition will be an under-23s event, although each country will be allowed to include three older players in their team. There are no age restrictions for the women’s competition.

Both the men’s and women’s competitions will begin with a group stage. The teams will be divided into groups of four (three groups in the women’s tournament, four groups for the men), and the best eight teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. From here, the competitions are played to a knockout format: the two winning semi-finalists will play for the gold medal at Wembley, with the two losing semi-finalists facing off for the bronze.

Venues

City of Coventry Stadium, Coventry

The City of Coventry Stadium is home to Championship club Coventry City. It is ideally located in the centre of England, in a city which already has strong links with London 2012.

Hampden Park, Glasgow

Hampden Park recently underwent a £70m refurbishment and is now rated as a five-star venue by UEFA, the governing body of European Football.

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

The Millennium Stadium is located on the banks of the River Taff, right in the heart of the Welsh capital, Cardiff.

Old Trafford, Manchester

One of the most famous football grounds in the world, the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ is home to Manchester United Football Club.

St James' Park, Newcastle

Home of Newcastle United football club, St James’ Park has hosted many exciting matches, and has a great atmosphere created by fans – so it is well prepared for what’s to come in 2012.

Wembley Stadium, North London

Wembley Stadium is in north-west London, around six miles from the city centre, and comes complete with a sliding roof to protect against bad weather.

Olympic Football, past and present

Football was introduced as a medal sport at the 1908 Olympic Games. Great Britain won the gold medal, then successfully defended their title four years later in Stockholm. The sport has featured at every Olympic Games since, with the exception of Los Angeles 1932.

The Football competition at London 2012 will be staged at six grounds around the UK, including venues in Wales (Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium) and Scotland (Hampden Park in Glasgow). The finals will take place at Wembley Stadium in London.