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The biggest sporting event in the world, the Rio Olympics, starts on 5 August in Rio de Janeiro and football fans are already celebrating as they will get a chance to see some competitive action until the new season starts.
Some big teams in Argentina, Germany, Brazil and Portugal are participating in this year’s Olympics Football. The Olympics allows only 3 players over the age of 23 to be a part of the squad. However, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi won’t be seen donning their country’s colours in the upcoming tournament.
That doesn’t mean there aren't any star players to watch in the event. The tournament will have a delicate mix of both young talents as well as the experience of the stars. However, most of the fans’ eyes will be on the popular figures.
We take a look at five players who are expected to hog the spotlight in the Rio Olympics 2016:
#1 Neymar
The Brazilian superstar is surely the one to get the most spotlight in the upcoming Olympics. Neymar has been the most successful player for Brazil in recent years, already having scored an impressive 46 goals in 70 matches for the Selecao.
Neymar made his Brazil debut in August 2010 under the then coach Mano Menezes. At just 18 years old, he got to wear the number 11 jersey and scored on his debut against the USA in a 2-0 win.
The forward was a part of the Brazil football contingent in the 2012 London Olympics. However, he could not help the Selecao to an Olympic Gold as they lost 2-1 to Mexico in the final at Wembley and had to settle for silver.
Having signed for Barcelona in 2013, Neymar guided the Blaugrana to Champions League glory in 2015 and established himself as one of the best players in the world. He was rested by Brazil for the Copa America Centenario earlier this year and Brazil fans will hope that the attacking phenomenon can help them win their first Olympic Gold.
#2 Angel Correa
The young Argentine striker signed for Atletico in 2014 to a five-year contract. However, he could only make his Atletico debut in August 2015, as he was sidelined for six months due to a heart tumour.
Correa possesses technical skill and has a great first touch. Due to his low centre-of-gravity, he can dribble well and go past defenders with ease. The 21-year-old is an exciting talent and has already made 26 appearances for Atletico last season for scoring 5 goals in the process.
Having played for the Argentina Under-20s, Angel Correa made his senior debut in September 2014, coming on for Ezequiel Lavezzi in a 7-0 thumping of Bolivia where he also scored the last goal. Correa will have the responsibility to lead Argentina’s attacking line in the absence of their star strikers in the Olympics in their arch-rival's hunting ground in Brazil.
#3 Marquinhos
Marquinhos is one of the most exciting young talents in the world at present. At just 22 years of age, the Brazilian defender has become an integral part of Paris Saint-Germain. Primarily a central defender, Marquinhos can also play as a right-back as he often does for his club.
He is praised for his depth in the reading of the game and ability to start an attack from the back because of his passing range. Marquinhos made his senior Brazil debut in 2013 under Luiz Felipe Scolari and represented the national team in the 2015 Copa America in Chile.
He was also an inclusion in the Copa America Centenario earlier this year and has been selected for the Olympic team as well alongside another star Neymar. Marquinhos’s experience of playing in big matches will come in handy for the Selecao as they aim to win an Olympic gold on home soil.
#4 Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min is a South Korean international who plays for Tottenham Hotspurs in the Premier League. In 2015, Spurs signed the attacker for £22 million from Bayer Leverkusen which made him the most expensive Asian player in football history.
Son is praised for his hard-working nature, control with the ball and composure in front of the goal. He scored 8 goals for Tottenham last season helping them to finish third in the Premier League.
Son made his debut for the South Korea national team in 2010 in the AFC Asian Cup. He was also a part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and was praised for his performances in the tournament. The forward has played 48 matches for South Korea and is one of the over-age players in their roster for the Olympics.
He will hope that his team goes a long way in the Olympics in Rio who play their first match against Fiji in a tough group having Germany and Mexico.
#5 Matthias Ginter
Matthias Ginter, who plies his trade for Borrusia Dortmund is one of the key members travelling with the German Olympic squad to Brazil. A steady defender, Ginter was selected as the youngest member of Germany’s World Cup-winning squad in 2014.
Ginter had a season of highs and lows for Dortmund last season. In the first half of the season, the young German excelled at right-back for Borussia Dortmund. However, the second half of the season wasn’t as good as he had to switch positions often which did not result in consistent performances.
However, the 22-year-old would be an essential player for Germany’s Olympic squad and hope to renew his tete-a-tete with Brazil, where he had won the World Cup in 2014. The defender, who is linked to Arsenal, should be hopeful that Germany can go and win the Olympic medal and a lot of expectations will be on him to deliver.
