Does the Olympic football competition stand shoulder to shoulder with the FIFA World Cup?
There is no doubt that top nations participating at the Olympics do not send their best players to the competition. But partially it is also up to the player himself whether he wants to go the Olympics or he wants to play for his club. The Olympic Games usually take place at a time when a new season is about to begin in August.
You will also never hear a professional football player saying that his aim is to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games. He will tell you that he wants to win the World Cup or their continental championship. However, there is one area where the Olympic football competition can match the World Cup and that is the attendance at the stadiums.
Does it matter to the big nations where they finish in Olympics?
Most of the participating nations are forced to send a second string team to Olympics. It means that younger players are sent to represent the nation. When you look at the current scenario where both the UEFA Euro and the Copa America took place before the Olympic Games, the focus of many national football federations was not the Games. It was the continental championships.
However, it can help in testing the capability of the younger inexperienced players. There is no doubt that the club and continental competitions are more important in the modern era, but that does not mean the federations should take the Games lightly.
Can win at the Olympics have a positive effect on a country’s performance at their next big tournament?
When countries finish with a medal at the Olympics, it automatically gives them a boost for their next assignment. When the players win gold, they have the confidence to get into the senior side and perform well. When they win silver or bronze, they can learn from their mistakes at the Games and improve their performances.
The next tournament a country plays after the Olympics will have the most talented youngsters drafted into the senior squad. The best examples can be that of Neymar Jr, Xavi, and Angel di Maria.
In recent years, Argentina and Spain have been prime examples of such a story. The Argentina side had been failing at the international level since they last managed to win the FIFA World Cup in 1986. But with a golden generation of players such as Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Angel di Maria in their ranks, they won two consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2004 and in 2008.
The team looked confident and the country went on to perform well in the Copa America and the World Cup reaching five finals in all since 2004, but they have failed to win any. However, the win in the Olympics made their countrymen believe in them again.
