The Tokyo Olympic Games was originally scheduled for 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to 2021. It is now about time for the Olympics to start.
The men’s football tournament at this summer’s Olympic Games will start on 22nd July. It will be contested by 16 nations. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nations can name a 22 player squad instead of the usual 18.
All the players in the squad must be born on or after 1st January 1997 with the exception of only three overage players (marked * in the list).
So let’s check out the confirmed football squads:
Group A
France
Goalkeepers: Paul Bernardoni (Angers), Stefan Bajic (Saint-Etienne), Dimitry Bertaud (Montpellier).
Defenders: Melvin Bard (Lyon), Anthony Caci (Strasbourg), Ismael Doukoure (Valenciennes), Pierre Kalulu (AC Milan), Clement Michelin (Lens), Timothee Pembele (Paris Saint-Germain), Modibo Sagnan (Real Sociedad).
Midfielders: Alexis Beka Beka (Caen), Jeremy Gelin (Rennes), Enzo Le Fee (Lorient), Teji Savanier* (Montpellier), Florian Thauvin* (Tigres), Lucas Tousart (Hertha BSC).
Forwards: Andre-Pierre Gignac* (Tigres), Randal Kolo Muani (Nantes), Arnaud Nordin (Saint-Etienne), Isaac Lihadji (Lille), Nathaniel Mbuku (Reims).
Japan
Goalkeepers: Keisuke Osaka (Hiroshima), Kosei Tani (Shonan Bellmare), Zion Suzuki (Urawa Reds).
Defenders: Hiroki Sakai* (Urawa Reds), Yuta Nakayama (PEC Zwolle), Ko Itakura (Manchester City), Maya Yoshida* (Sampdoria), Reo Hatate (Kawasaki Frontale), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Bologna), Daiki Hashioka (Urawa Reds), Ayumu Seko (Cerezo Osaka), Koki Machida (Kashima Antlers).
Midfielders: Wataru Endo* (Stuttgart), Takefusa Kubo (Real Madrid), Koji Miyoshi (Antwerp), Ritsu Doan (PSV Eindhoven), Kaoru Mitoma (Kawasaki Frontale), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Ao Tanaka ( Kawasaki Frontale).
Forwards: Daizen Maeda (Yokohama Marinos), Ayase Ueda (Kashima Antlers), Daichi Hayashi (Sagan Tosu).
Mexico
Goalkeepers: Sebastian Jurado (Cruz Azul), Luis Malagon (Necaxa), Guillermo Ochoa* (Club America).
Defenders: Erick Aguirre (Pachuca), Alberto Angulo (Atlas), Gerardo Arteaga (Genk), Cesar Montes (Monterrey), Jorge Sanchez (Club America), Johan Vasquez (UNAM Pumas).
Midfielders: Roberto Alvarado (Cruz Azul), Ricardo Angulo (Guadalajara), Uriel Antuna (Guadalajara), Fernando Beltran (Guadalajara), Sebastian Cordova (Club America), Jose Joaquin Esquivel (Juarez), Diego Lainez (Betis), Carlos Rodriguez (Monterrey), Luis Romo* (Cruz Azul).
Forwards: Eduardo Aguirre (Santos Laguna), Henry Martin* (Club America), Jose Juan Macias (Guadalajara), Alexis Vega (Guadalajara).
South Africa
Yet to be revealed.
Group B
Honduras
Yet to be revealed.
New Zealand
Goalkeepers: Michael Woud (Almere City), Jamie Searle (Swansea City), Alex Paulsen (Lower Hutt City AFC).
Defenders: Michael Boxall* (Minnesota United), Liberato Cacace (Sint-Truiden), Callan Elliot (Xanthi), Dane Ingram (Newcastle Jets), Nando Pijnaker (Rio Ave), Winston Reid* (West Ham United), George Stanger (Hamilton).
Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking), Clayton Lewis (Wellington Phoenix), Marko Stamenic (Copenhagen), Gianni Stensness (Central Coast Mariners), Ben Old (Wellington Phoenix), Sam Sutton (Wellington Phoenix).
Forwards: Joey Champness (Newcastle Jets), Elijah Just (Helsingor), Callum McCowatt (Helsingor), Ben Waine (Wellington Phoenix), Chris Wood* (Burnley), Matt Garbett (Falkenbergs).
Romania
Goalkeepers: Mihai Aioani (Farul Constanta), Mihai Popa (Astra Giurgiu), Stefan Tarnovanu (FCSB).
Defenders: Radu Boboc (Farul Constanta), Andrei Chindris (Botosani), Virgil Ghita (Farul Constanta), Ricardo Grigore (Dinamo Bucuresti), Alex Pascanu (Ponferradina), Andrei Ratiu (Villarreal), Florin Stefan* (Sepsi).
Midfielders: Tudor Baluta (Brighton), Andrei Ciobanu (Farul Constanta), Alex Dobre (Dijon), Marco Dulca (Chindia), Ion Gheorghe (Voluntari), Valentin Gheorghe (Astra Giurgiu), Marius Marin (Pisa), Dragos Nedelcu (FCSB).
Forwards: George Ganea (Farul Constanta), Andrei Sintean (Hermannstadt).
South Korea
Goalkeepers: Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Motors), Ahn Joon-soo (Busan IPark), An Chan-gi (Suwon Bluewings).
Defenders: Lee You-hyeon (Jeonbuk Motors), Jeong Tae-wook (Daegu), Kim Jae-woo (Daegu), Kim Jin-ya (Seoul), Seol Young-woo (Ulsan Hyundai), Kim Min-jae* (Beijing Guoan), Kang Yoon-sung (Jeju United), Lee Sang-min (Seoul).
Midfielders: Jeong Seung-won (Daegu), Kim Dong-hyun (Gangwon), Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan Hyundai), Won Du-jae (Ulsan Hyundai), Lee Kang-in (Valencia), Kim Jin-kyu Ahn Joon-soo (Busan IPark).
Forwards: Lee Dong-jun (Ulsan Hyundai), Um Won-sang (Gwangju), Song Min-kyu (Pohang Steelers), Kwon Chang-hoon* (Suwon Bluewings), Hwang Ui-jo* (Bordeaux).
Group C
Argentina
Goalkeepers: Joaquin Blazquez (Talleres de Cordoba), Lautaro Morales (Lanus), Jeremias Ledesma* (Cadiz).
Defenders: Hernan de la Fuente (Velez), Marcelo Herrera (San Lorenzo), Nehuen Perez (Granada), Leonel Mosevich (Vizela), Facundo Medina (Lens), Francisco Ortega (Velez), Claudio Bravo (Portland Timbers).
Midfielders: Fausto Vera (Argentinos Juniors), Santiago Colombatto (Leon), Tomas Belmonte (Lanus), Martin Payero (Middlesbrough), Thiago Almada (Velez), Esequiel Barco (Atlanta United).
Forwards: Carlos Valenzuela (Famalicao), Pedro de la Vega (Lanus), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Agustin Urzi (Banfield), Adolfo Gaich (Benevento), Ezequiel Ponce (Spartak Moscow).
Australia
Goalkeepers: Tom Glover (Melbourne City), Ashley Maynard-Brewer (Ebbsfleet United), Jordan Holmes (Charlton Athletic).
Defenders: Nathaniel Atkinson (Melbourne City), Thomas Deng (Urawa Reds), Joel King (Sydney FC), Kye Rowles (Central Coast Mariners), Harry Souttar (Stoke City), Jay Rich-Baghuelou (Crystal Palace).
Midfielders: Keanu Baccus (Western Sydney Wanderers), Denis Genreau (Macarthur FC), Riley McGree (Birmingham City), Connor Metcalfe (Melbourne City), Dylan Pierias (Western United), Caleb Watts (Southampton), Cameron Devlin (Wellington Phoenix), Marco Tilio (Melbourne City).
Forwards: Daniel Arzani (Aarhus), Nicholas D’Agostino (Perth Glory), Mitchell Duke* (Western Sydney Wanderers), Reno Piscopo (Wellington Phoenix), Lachlan Wales (Western United).
Egypt
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy* (Al Ahly), Mohamed Sobhy (Al Ittihad), Mahmoud Gad (ENPPI).
Defenders: Ahmed Hegazi* (Al-Ittihad), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdel Salam (Zamalek), Osama Galal (Pyramids), Ahmed Ramadan (Al Ahly), Karim El-Eraky (Al Masry), Karim Fouad (ENPPI), Ahmed Abou El Fotouh (Zamalek).
Midfielders: Akram Tawfik (Al Ahly), Amar Hamdy (Al Ittihad – Egypt), Nasser Maher (Al Ahly), Emam Ashour (Zamalek).
Forwards: Ramadan Sobhi (Pyramids), Ibrahim Adel (Pyramids), Abdel Rahman Magdy (Ismaily), Taher Mohamed (Al Ahly), Salah Mohsen (Al Ahly), Nasser Mansi (El Gaish), Ahmed Yasser (Ceramica Cleopatra).
Spain
Goalkeepers: Alex Dominguez (Huesca), Alvaro Fernandes (Las Palmas), Unai Simon (Athletic Club).
Defenders: Eric Garcia (Barcelona), Juan Miranda (Betis), Oscar Mingueza (Barcelona), Oscar Gil (Espanyol), Pau Torres (Villarreal), Marc Cucurella (Getafe), Jesus Vallejo (Real Madrid).
Midfielders: Pedri (Barcelona), Bryan Gil (Sevilla), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Jon Moncayola (Osasuna), Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig), Carlos Soler (Valencia), Dani Ceballos* (Real Madrid), Mikel Merino* (Real Sociedad).
Forwards: Javi Puado (Espanyol), Rafa Mir (Wolverhampton), Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Marco Asensio* (Real Madrid).
Group D
Brazil
Goalkeepers: Brenno (Gremio), Lucao (Vasco da Gama), Santos* (Athletico Paranaense).
Defenders: Nino (Fluminense), Gabriel (Arsenal), Guilherme Arana (Atletico Mineiro), Gabriel Menino (Palmeiras), Dani Alves* (Sao Paulo), Diego Carlos* (Sevilla), Abner Vinicius (Athletico Paranaense), Bruno Fuchs (CSKA Moscow).
Midfielders: Matheus Henrique (Gremio), Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Claudinho (Red Bull Bragantino), Reinier (Borussia Dortmund), Douglas Augusto (PAOK).
Forwards: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Paulinho (Bayer Leverkusen), Richarlison (Everton), Matheus Cunha (Hertha BSC), Antony (Ajax).
Germany
Goalkeepers: Svend Brodersen (St. Pauli), Florian Muller (Stuttgart), Luca Plogmann (Werder Bremen).
Defenders: Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Amos Pieper (Arminia Bielefeld), David Raum (TSG Hoffenheim), Jordan Torunarigha (Hertha BSC), Felix Uduokhai (Augsburg), Joshua Vagnoman (Hamburger SV).
Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri* (Bayer Leverkusen) Maximilian Arnold* (Wolfsburg), Niklas Dorsch (Gent), Ismail Jakobs (Koln), Eduard Lowen (Bochum), Arne Maier (Hertha BSC), Anton Stach (Greuther Furth).
Forwards: Max Kruse* (Union Berlin), Marco Richter (Augsburg), Cedric Teuchert (Union Berlin).
Ivory Coast
Yet to be revealed.
Saudi Arabia
Goalkeepers: Zaid Al-Bawardi (Al-Shabab), Mohammed Al Rubaie (Al-Ahli), Amin Bukhari (Al-Ain).
Defenders: Saud Abdulhamid (Al-Ittihad), Abdulelah Al-Amri (Al-Nassr), Khalifah Al-Dawsari (Al Qadsiah), Khalid Al-Dubaysh (Al-Shabab), Yasser Al-Shahrani* (Al-Hilal), Hamad Al-Yami (Al Qadsiah), Abdullah Hassoun (Al-Ahli), Abdulbasit Hindi (Al-Ahli).
Midfielders: Turki Al-Ammar (Al-Shabab), Salem Al-Dawsari* (Al-Hilal), Salman Al-Faraj* (Al-Hilal), Khalid Al-Ghannam (Al-Nassr), Ali Al-Hassan (Al-Nassr), Ayman Al-Khulaif (Al-Wehda), Sami Al-Najei (Al-Nassr), Nasser Al-Omran (Al-Shabab), Mukhtar Ali (Al-Nassr), Abdulrahman Ghareeb (Al-Ahli), Ayman Yahya (Al-Nassr).
Forwards: Abdullah Al-Hamdan (Al-Shabab), Abdulrahman Al-Yami (Al-Ittihad).
