The Olympic Games will take place from 5th August to 21st August in the city of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Football will also be a part of these Games for the 26th time in the history. However, with the Copa America Centenario and the UEFA Euro finishing just weeks before the Olympics, many star players in world football will not be playing in the six different cities, which will host the football matches.
Also Read: Rio Olympics 2016: History of Olympic football
But there will be a few star players who will brace the crowds in Brazil with their skills and footwork. We look at the biggest names in football who will be present at the Games with their national squads:
#1 Neymar (Brazil)
Neymar was the Brazilian wonder-kid, who emerged onto the international scene after his exploits in the 2012 London Olympic Games. He is one of the few big name players who have made a name through their performances at the Games.
The Barcelona man was not allowed to compete in the Copa America Centenario by his club. He was, however, granted the permission by the club to represent his nation in the grandest event of them all.
Neymar’s performances for his former club Santos and now for Barcelona have made him a household name worldwide. His exploits in the treble and double winning last two seasons for the Spanish club have made him one of the best players in the world right now.
He has scored a total of 70 goals for the club in 100 appearances in the last two seasons and is unarguably the biggest player in this Olympics. We will get to see if he can prove his credentials by winning the gold medal for his nation.
#2 Manuel Lanzini (Argentina)
Manuel Lanzini is an attacking midfielder who currently plays for Premier League club West Ham United. Last year, the London-based club had initially brought the Argentine on loan from UAE-based club Al Jazira where Lanzini had spent one season. But as the season began, the club’s fans, spectators, commentators, analysts, and other big clubs saw what the youngster was capable of.
The 23-year old player was used wisely by his manager Slaven Bilic. Lanzini displayed quick feet and was always running past the defenders. But with the transfer market still on, there have been reports that big clubs are looking to buy the midfielder.
However, West Ham are reported to have said that he is not for sale. Whilst his club future remains a discussion, the pacey winger will be looking to impress the world with his skills when he represents his country Argentina at the Rio Games.
Lanzini scored 7 goals in 30 games for his London-based club last season and will look to get Argentina back to where it belongs.
#3 Douglas Costa (Brazil)
Bayern Munich are known to get all their transfers done early in the transfer window. One such transfer was of Douglas Costa last year. The Brazilian was bought by the German club for €30 million from the player’s previous club Shakhtar Donetsk.
People had not seen much of the young 25-year old Brazilian. But once he joined Bayern, he showed the world what he is capable of.
His dribbling and crossing skills can be matched by very few players in world football right now. The young attacker has also developed an eye for goal in his first season with the Bavarian club.
Also Read: Rio Olympics 2016: 5 major contenders for gold in football
The new season awaits the youngster to make more of an impact when he plays under new coach Carlo Ancelotti. But the playmaker and crosser will have one more assignment to finish before he can join his team. Costa has been picked as one of the three over-age players in the Brazil team for the Olympics.
The attacker will be well suited to conditions in Brazil and will have to link up well with Neymar and other younger players. There is no reason why Costa cannot be the best player of the Olympics.
#4 Sven Bender (Germany)
Many football pundits and analysts will not consider Sven Bender as a big name player. But the 27-year old defensive midfielder has been a rock in the Borussia Dortmund set-up for the past seven years.
He came to Dortmund from German lower division club 1860 Munchen in the year 2009. Sven has since made 152 appearances for his club and plays in the centre of midfield and stops any attacking threat that might cause problems to his team.
The Dortmund player will be at the Rio Olympics with the German side as he was not picked for the Euros in France. He will also be accompanied by his twin brother Lars. The twins will be very much an integral part of the Germany side which will have to face the likes of Fiji, South Korea and Mexico in the group stages in Brazil.
Sven is one of the most experienced players who will be representing Germany in Rio. He will have to perform well to make his mark, and even push for a place in the senior national side.
#5 Marquinhos (Brazil)
Paris Saint Germain’s Marquinhos is the youngest player to feature on this list. The 22-year old is the only player in this list who has not been picked as an over-age player.
He is a defender who can play centrally as well as in the right-back position. The Brazilian plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world, therefore it is fair to say that Marquinhos is a big name.
The defender has made 75 appearances for PSG at club level. But what’s more important is that he has already made his place in the Brazil senior team.
He had also played for Brazil in last year’s Copa America and was selected again for the recently concluded Copa America Centenario. His selection in the Olympic squad will give Brazilian fans some confidence.
He has also featured in important Champions League and Ligue 1 matches for the Paris-based club. The young defender’s best quality, just like many Brazilian players, is his pace. He can run past defenders when he is attacking through the right flank and can beat the strikers for pace while defending.
The defender will look to give Brazil an advantage going into the Olympics by using his club experience. He has already played against world-class forwards, hence dealing with the younger players at the Olympics should not be a problem for Marquinhos.
