Quick facts for kids
2012 Men's Olympic Football Tournament
| Tournament details |
| Host country |
Great Britain |
| Dates |
26 July – 11 August |
| Teams |
16 |
| Venue(s) |
6 (in 6 host cities) |
|
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|
The 2012 Men's Olympic Football Tournament was a special football competition for male players under 23 years old. It was part of the exciting 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, Great Britain. The tournament took place from July 26 to August 11, 2012.
Teams from all over the world, made up of their best young players, competed to win the gold medal. Argentina was the champion from the previous Olympics in 2008. The games were played across England, Scotland, and Wales. A total of 16 teams qualified to play in the final stages of the tournament.
Who Played? Teams in the Tournament
Sixteen national teams qualified to play in the 2012 Men's Olympic Football Tournament. They earned their spots through different competitions held around the world.
| How Teams Qualified |
When They Qualified |
Where They Qualified |
Number of Teams |
Qualified Teams |
| Host nation |
|
— |
1 |
 Great Britain |
| AFC (Asia) Competition |
29 March 2012 |
Various (home and away) |
3 |
 South Korea
 Japan
 United Arab Emirates |
| CAF (Africa) Competition |
10 December 2011 |
 Morocco |
3 |
 Gabon
 Morocco
 Egypt |
| CONCACAF (North/Central America) Competition |
2 April 2012 |
 United States |
2 |
 Mexico
 Honduras |
| CONMEBOL (South America) Competition |
12 February 2011 |
 Peru |
2 |
 Brazil
 Uruguay |
| OFC (Oceania) Competition |
25 March 2012 |
 New Zealand |
1 |
 New Zealand |
| UEFA (Europe) Competition |
25 June 2011 |
 Denmark |
3 |
 Spain
 Switzerland
 Belarus |
| AFC–CAF Play-off |
23 April 2012 |
Great Britain |
1 |
 Senegal |
| Total |
|
16 |
|
Where the Games Were Played: Venues
The football matches were played in six different stadiums across Great Britain. These stadiums were chosen for their large size and modern facilities.
How the Tournament Started: Group Stage
The 16 teams were divided into four groups: A, B, C, and D. Each team played every other team in their group once. Teams earned points for wins and draws. The top two teams from each group moved on to the next stage.
- Pld: Matches Played
- W: Wins
- D: Draws (Ties)
- L: Losses
- GF: Goals For (goals scored by the team)
- GA: Goals Against (goals scored by the other team)
- GD: Goal Difference (GF minus GA)
- Pts: Points
Group A Matches and Standings
Group B Matches and Standings
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
| Mexico |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
+3 |
7 |
| South Korea |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
5 |
| Gabon |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
-2 |
2 |
| Switzerland |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
-2 |
1 |
|
|
|
| 26 July 2012 |
| Mexico |
0–0 |
South Korea |
| Gabon |
1–1 |
Switzerland |
| 29 July 2012 |
| Mexico |
2–0 |
Gabon |
| South Korea |
2–1 |
Switzerland |
| 1 August 2012 |
| Mexico |
1–0 |
Switzerland |
| South Korea |
0–0 |
Gabon |
Group C Matches and Standings
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
| Brazil |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
+6 |
9 |
| Egypt |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
+1 |
4 |
| Belarus |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
-3 |
3 |
| New Zealand |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
-4 |
1 |
|
|
|
| 26 July 2012 |
| Belarus |
1–0 |
New Zealand |
| Brazil |
3–2 |
Egypt |
| 29 July 2012 |
| Brazil |
1–1 |
Belarus |
| Egypt |
3–1 |
New Zealand |
| 1 August 2012 |
| Brazil |
3–0 |
New Zealand |
| Egypt |
3–1 |
Belarus |
Group D Matches and Standings
| Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
| Japan |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
+2 |
7 |
| Honduras |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
+1 |
5 |
| Morocco |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
-1 |
2 |
| Spain |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
|
|
|
| 26 July 2012 |
| Spain |
0–1 |
Japan |
| Honduras |
2–2 |
Morocco |
| 29 July 2012 |
| Spain |
0–1 |
Honduras |
| Japan |
1–0 |
Morocco |
| 1 August 2012 |
| Japan |
0–0 |
Honduras |
| Spain |
0–0 |
Morocco |
The Final Rounds: Knockout Stage
After the group stage, the top eight teams moved on to the knockout phase. This meant that if a team lost, they were out of the tournament. The knockout stage included quarter-finals, semi-finals, a bronze medal match, and the gold medal final.
Related pages
Images for kids
-
Participating countries in the 2012 Olympics men's football tournament.
-
The match between Great Britain and Senegal at Old Trafford, Manchester.
-
A moment from the match between Brazil and Belarus.
-
Juan Mata taking a corner kick during the match between Spain and Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Torneo masculino de fútbol en los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012 para niños
Great Britain
South Korea
Honduras
Mexico
Senegal
Japan
Egypt
