While the modern game of football started with the foundation of the Football Association of England in 1863, its roots extend to opposite ends of the earth. The ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans played a similar game, long before English kings in the 1300s and 1400s were trying to outlaw the violent sport. [Full story]
• Drawing of lots for the Olympic football competitions (men's):
Group A: Cote D'Ivoire (A1), Argentina (A2), Australia (A3), Serbia (A4)
Group B: Netherlands (B1), Nigeria (B2), Japan (B3), USA (B4)
Group C: China (C1), New Zealand (C2), Brazil (C3), Belgium (C4)
Group D: Republic of Korea (D1), Cameroon (D2), Honduras (D3), Italy (D4)
• Drawing of lots for the Olympic football competitions (women's):
Group E: China (E1), Sweden (E2), Argentina (E3), Canada (E4)
Group F: DPRK (F1), Nigeria (F2), Germany (F3), Brazil (F4)
Group G: Norway (G1), USA (G2), Japan (G3), New Zealand (G4)
Men 288 (16 teams x 18 players)
Women 216 (12 teams x 18 players)
TOTAL 504
QUALIFICATION TIMELINE
| AFC preliminary competition: | |
| Men: | - First round: February 2007 - Second round: February 2007-June 2007 Third round: August 2007-November 2007, 3 groups of 4 teams. The 3 group winners qualify for the Olympic Football Tournament. |
| Women: | First round: 17-25 February 2007 |
| Second round: April 2007-August 2007, 2 groups of 4 teams. The 2 group winners qualify for the Olympic Football Tournament. | |
| CAF preliminary competition: | |
| Men: | - First round: September 2006-October 2006 - Second round: February 2007-March 2007 - Third round: June 2007-March 2008, 3 groups of 4 teams. The 3 group winners qualify for the Olympic Football Tournament. |
| Women: | - Preliminary round: October 2006-November 2006 - First round: February 2007-March 2007 - Second round: June 2007 - Third round: July 2007-March 2008, 4 teams. The winner qualifies for the Olympic Football Tournament. The runner-up plays off with CONMEBOL by end of March 2008. |
| CONCACAF preliminary competition: | |
| Men: | (Dates and sites to be confirmed) |
| Women: | (Dates and sites to be confirmed) |
| CONMEBOL preliminary competition: | |
| Men: | Brazil and Argentina,winners and runners-up respectively at the South American U-20 Championship in Paraguay in January 2007, became the first two teams to book their places at the Men's Olympic Football Tournament at Beijing 2008. |
| Women: | (Dates and sites to be confirmed) Play-off with CAF by end of March 2008 |
| OFC preliminary competition: | |
| Men: | March 2008 (Sites to be confirmed) |
| Women: | March 2008 (Sites to be confirmed) |
| UEFA preliminary competition: | |
| Men: | - European U-21 Championship 2006-2007 (tournament changed to odd years) - Preliminary round: March 2006-July 2006 - Group stage: August 2006-October 2006 - Final tournament: Netherlands, June 2007, 8 teams participating. |
| Women: | FIFA Women's World Cup, China, 10-30 September 2007. The top 3 European teams will qualify for the Olympic Football Tournament. |
| April 2008 | Confederations to complete preliminary competitions |
| May 2008 | Draw for the men's and women's Olympic football tournaments, Beijing 2008 |
| 23 July 2008 | Deadline for Beijing 2008 Organising Committee to receive entry forms submitted by NOCs |
Olympic Tournament for Men
The following teams are entitled to take part in the Olympic Tournament for Men:
| Event | Qualification | Total |
| Host nation | The host nation directly qualifies a team and will not play in the preliminary competition-included in AFC allocation | (1 team) |
| Preliminary competitions | The remaining places will be allocated at the preliminary competitions organised by the relevant continental federations as follows: | |
| Asia (AFC) 4 teams qualify including host nation |
4 teams | |
| Africa (CAF) 3 teams qualify |
3 teams | |
| North and Central America (CONCACAF) 2 teams qualify |
2 teams | |
| South America (CONMEBOL) 2 teams qualify |
2 teams | |
| Oceania (OFC) 1 team qualifies |
1 team | |
| Europe (UEFA) 4 teams qualify |
4 teams | |
| Total (teams) | Men | 16 teams |
Olympic Tournament for Women
The following teams are entitled to take part in the Olympic Tournament for Women:
| Event | Qualification | Total |
| Host nation | The host nation directly qualifies a team and will not play in the preliminary competition-included in AFC allocation | (1 team) |
| The remaining places will be allocated at the preliminary competitions organised by the relevant continental federations as follows: | ||
| Asia (AFC) 3 teams qualify including host nation |
3 teams | |
| Africa (CAF) 1.5 teams qualify (play-off with CONMEBOL) |
1.5 teams | |
| North and Central America (CONCACAF) 2 teams qualify |
2 teams | |
| South America (CONMEBOL) 1.5 teams qualify (play-off with CAF) |
1.5 teams | |
| Oceania (OFC) 1 team qualifies |
1 team | |
| Europe (UEFA) 3 teams qualify |
3 teams | |
| Total | Women | 12 teams |
Entries confirmed (Men)
(Updated on April 20, 2008)
| NOC Code | Qualification |
| CHN | host nation |
| NED | the winner of UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 |
| SRB | the runner-up of UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 |
| BEL | the fourth of UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 |
| ITA | the play-off winner of UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 |
| BRA | the winner of South American U-20 Championship |
| ARG | the runner-up of South American U-20 Championship |
| CIV | the Group B winner of men's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 Prel. Comp, CAF |
| CMR | the Group C winner of men's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 Prel. Comp, CAF |
| AUS | the Group A winner of men's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 Prel. Comp, AFC |
| KOR | the Group B winner of AFC qualifying competition |
| JAN | the Group C winner of AFC qualifying competition |
| NZL | the winner of Oceania Olympic qualification tournament |
| USA | the first runner-up of CONCACAF Olympic qualification tournament |
| HON | the winner of CONCACAF Olympic Olympic qualification tournament |
| NGA | the winner of Africa Olympic qualification tournament Group A |
Entries confirmed (Women)
(Updated on April 20, 2008)
| NOC Code | Qualification |
| CHN | host nation |
| PRK | the group winner of Women's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 Prel. Comp. AFC |
| JAN | the group winner of Women's Olympic Football Tournament 2008 Prel. Comp. AFC |
| ARG | the winner of South American Women's Championship |
| GER | one of the top three European finishers at the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 |
| NOR | one of the top three European finishers at the FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 |
| SWE | the winner of FIFA Women's World Cup China 2007 play-off |
| NZL | the winner of Oceania Olympic qualification tournament |
| NGA | the winner of Africa Olympic qualification tournament |
| CAN | the first runner-up of CONCACAF Olympic qualification tournament |
| USA | the winner of CONCACAF Olympic qualification tournament |
| BRA | the winner of Women's Olympic Football Tournament Qualification Play-Off Match |
Mia Hamm
The most dominant women's football player of the 1990s, Mia Hamm joined the U.S. [Full story]
Patrick Mboma
Born in Cameroon, Patrick Mboma moved with his family to France ... [Full story]
