The latest edition of the Summer Olympic Games is nearly upon and unsurprisingly, excitement is building.
July 26 is the date of the opening ceremony but it is not actually the day in which the event kicks into action.
On Wednesday, July 24, the men’s football tournament starts, with host nation France playing the United States of America in the opening round’s standout fixture.
So, ahead of the footballing festival in Paris, NetBet has decided to provide all the key information, including the schedule and outright odds.
NetBet is the place to be for betting on the Olympics and if you are a new customer, you can take advantage of our brilliant welcome offer.
Which Countries Are Playing Men’s Football at Paris 2024?
The 16 nations who will be competing for the coveted gold medal at Paris 2024 are as follows…
Group A
France
USA
Guinea
New Zealand
Group B
Argentina
Morocco
Iraq
Ukraine
Group C
Uzbekistan
Spain
Egypt
Dominican Republic
Group D
Japan
Paraguay
Mali
Israel
What is the Men’s Football Schedule at Paris 2024?
July 24-30: Group games
August 2: Quarter-finals
August 5: Semi-finals
August 8: Bronze medal match
August 9: Gold medal match
Paris 2024 Men’s Football Preview
Unlike the World Cup, European Championship, Copa America or any other major international tournament, the best players in the world rarely feature at the Olympics.
This is to avoid clashes with the aforementioned competitions and domestic leagues. Instead, the squads are made up of players under the age of 23, with three permitted exceptions.
However, while the squads are not at full strength, France’s roster still boasts some seriously impressive footballers.
Managed by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and skippered by Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, Les Bleus will be gunning for glory on home soil.
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is one of the other overage players, while Mateta’s former team-mate Michael Olise – who recently joined Bayern Munich – is arguably the key figure in the squad.
But Spain’s squad is also loaded with young talent and they will give the French a run for their money. Barcelona duo Fermin Lopez and Pau Cubarsi, Villarreal star Alex Baena and Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios are just a few of the names that leap off the page.
Spain finished as runners-up at Tokyo 2020, with Brazil claiming the gold for the second consecutive Games having previously won on home soil in 2016. But Brazil will not feature at Paris 2024, which is a bit of a shame really given their past achievements.
However, Brazil’s fierce rivals and world champions Argentina are part of the event and they will be looking to win this tournament for the first time since 2008 – when Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria helped inspire the South American side to glory.
Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez and Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi, two players who played key roles in Argentina’s recent Copa America win, are part of an exciting Olympic squad managed by Javier Mascherano.
So, with all that information on the three big favourites provided, let’s take a look at how the odds are shaping up…
Paris 2024 Men’s Football Favourites
*Odds are subject to change
France – 3.25
Spain – 3.50
Argentina – 4.00
Morocco – 11.00
Paraguay 21.00
USA – 21.00
Egypt – 21.00
Ukraine – 25.00
Mali – 31.00
Japan – 31.00
Israel – 41.00
Uzbekistan – 51.00
Guinea – 51.00
New Zealand – 76.00
Iraq – 101.00
Dominican Republic – 251.00
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