By DEMITRIOS PANOPOULOS 

The world game is an Olympic staple, despite what some people believe about its role in the Games.

Much like other events such as golf and tennis, the pinnacles for these sports are found outside the Olympiad in the form of world cups, majors or Grand Slam tournaments.

Nonetheless, just two years after hosting the FIFA World Cup, Brazil will again host 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams in a standard football tournament at the Olympics.

Taking into account the strength of the sides that qualified, Rio 2016 could put on the best footballing show seen at an Olympics.

Just one year after the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the US will again be the team to beat as they tackle a number of decent contenders looking to challenge the world-beaters.

Brazil itself has a lot to play for in both tournaments, as the men’s team looks to make amends for the extremely poor performances two years ago.

However, world rankings mean very little in the Olympics given all but three of the men in each squad must be under 23.

The women’s tournament starts two days before the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium in Rio on August 3, while the men start playing on August 4.

History suggests that it will be an open tournament and a flurry of goals will be scored, which is what makes Olympic football so special – spectators never know what to expect, and they’ll be guaranteed quality entertainment.

HISTORY

Football has featured in all but two editions of the Olympics. It failed to feature in 1896, as the sport was only beginning to find its feet at an international level at the time (the first match between two non-European teams was in 1885), and the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, where American organisers didn’t want it to overshadow the surging game of American Football.

When the sport was reinstated into the Olympics in 1936, the European domination started.

However, 1996 was the year everything changed in Olympic football, helping make it the spectacle it is today.

No team from outside Europe had won a gold medal at the Olympics until the 26th Olympiad, where Nigeria won the gold, Argentina the silver and Brazil the bronze.

Women’s football was also introduced as an Olympic sport in that year, along with the current rules for men’s football being implemented and universally accepted.

While 1992 saw men’s teams enter an under-23s competition, 1996 marked the beginning of the current era, where countries can additionally select three over-age players.

Women play with full squads, making the tournament more akin to the World Cup.

Since Nigeria’s victory at the Atlanta Olympics, only one European team has made it to the final of the men’s Olympic competition, with Spain winning silver in Sydney.

The women’s side of the draw has been dominated by the all-conquering US, who have won four gold medals and one silver in the five tournaments to date.

Two years after hosting the FIFA World Cup, Brazil will host this year’s football tournaments in the Olympics for the first time. 

KEY TEAMS AT RIO (MEN)

Brazil

The home team has to be one of the teams to beat in this tournament, despite never having won a gold medal at the Olympics in football. The Brazilians are known for its entertaining brand of football and the attacking prowess its strikers and attacking midfielders embody is sure to fire up the home crowds.  Neymar, one of the best players in the world and one of the country's three over-age players,  is the big drawcard. Perhaps most exciting is the ability of other forwards Gabriel and Gabriel Jesus, who should excel in this tournament.

Germany

This is the first time Germany has qualified for the Olympics since 1988, but they possess arguably the strongest squad of any men’s team. Their bronze medal at those Olympics remains Germany’s only success in such competition, but as a powerhouse of world football, they will be expecting to go far. The Bender twins will control the midfield with their wealth of experience, while Timo Horn may be the best goalkeeper to feature in the tournament. Nils Petersen, Germany’s third over-age player, has the pressure to deliver in front of goals in his potential role as the team’s most prominent player.

Argentina

South American football has been flying at the Olympics in recent times, and no team has been more successful than Argentina. The team won silver in 1996 and gold in 2004 and 2008, making it the most dangerous team at this tournament in spite of 2012’s winners, Mexico, once again making an appearance. Argentina only has two over-age players in the squad, but with the likes of Cristian Pavón, Jonathan Calleri and Ángel Correa in the squad, the attacking prowess far outweighs any potential inexperience. Their experience is in defence as well, making for a well-rounded squad.

South Korea

South Korea has won a solitary bronze medal in its footballing history at the Olympics, but having qualified for the last eight Olympic Games, it could be time for another outsider to shock the world. South Korea won bronze in London, defeating Japan 2-0 in the third-place playoff, and have gone to Brazil with a stronger all-round team. Without doubt, South Korea’s star player is Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, who took the EPL by storm with some great contributions at White Hart Lane. He has 48 international caps as well, making him an extremely experienced player for the team. South Korea will play around him and Porto’s Suk Hyun-Jun, with the hope that they score the goals that send them through.

KEY TEAMS AT RIO (WOMEN) 

USA

There has never been a better football team at the Olympics than the United States Women’s National Team. They have perennially dominated women’s football, having won four gold medals and a silver from five Olympic tournaments, and have always finished in the top three in the seven editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The United States have quality all over the pitch and it all starts up top with captain Carli Lloyd, who is arguably the best midfielder in the world. Her positional flexibility and consistency is extraordinary.

Germany

Germany is the second-ranked team in the world, and has won two FIFA Women’s World Cups, but its recent form against the US places it as a considerable outsider for the tournament. Having won three bronze medals at the Olympics, the team will be looking to reach new heights in 2016, with hopes the youth of Germany may catch a few teams off-guard.

Brazil

The host nation will always be a strong chance, especially considering they lost in extra time to the US in both Athens and Beijing. There’s a good mix of youth and experience in Brazil’s squad, with a few players having played in both silver medal tournaments. The clear standout player is Marta, who is arguably the best women’s player of all time, and if she has a big tournament, look out.

Dark Horses

France is another team that must be considered a threat for the United States. Les Bleus have a lot of quality and experience in their squad, but find themselves in the same pool as the US, making the journey out of the group stage fraught with danger.

From an Australian perspective,  the national women’s team has qualified for football at the Olympics. Having upset Brazil in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Matildas will have  plenty of confidence, and the Olympic set-up could give the Australians a chance of going deep into the tournament.

Predictions

For the men, Brazil has been one of the most consistent football nations at the Olympic Games for a long time. Given the senior team’s embarrassing tournament at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Olympic squad will put it on themselves to light a spark back into Brazilian football. A home advantage gives them the slight edge on Germany. Gabriel will score the most goals in the tournament, ahead of teammate Neymar.

The women’s tournament seems clear cut with the US being the team to beat. Interestingly, history suggests the team that has won the most recent FIFA Women’s World Cup cannot win the gold medal at the Olympics, which opens the door for another team to jump in. Still, it’s more than likely the Americans will break that trend and win the gold, likely against Brazil. Australia could go on a fairytale run and make it into the bronze medal playoff game.