Football is one of the most popular sports in the Olympic games. With the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the world is excited to see which team will be the victors this year.
Although Brazil won the gold medal against Spain in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they are not returning this year to defend their title. This is because they lost to their regional rival, Argentina, during the South American Olympic qualifier.
The big question now is, which team will grab gold this year? Will it finally be Spain’s time to shine or will Argentina dominate the competition? Olympic football will start with group stages and will trickle down towards the knockout stage.
Here are the most anticipated matches so far, especially for crypto sports betting fans:
France vs USA
The first and one of the most anticipated men’s football games to watch is the group stage match between France and the USA. It will be played two days before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, Marseille on July 24.
France is heading into this match without Kylian Mbappe, one of their best players, after coach Thierry Henry decided not to include him in the roster. Despite this, they are still one of the favourites according to Paris Olympic odds with players like Michael Olise and Alexandre Lacazette.
On the other hand, Marko Mitrovic, the USA’s head coach, sees France as just another opponent but expects a sizzling matchup. Some of the players expected to make a difference for the team are Paxten Aaronson and Bryan Reynolds. With an expected 70,000 spectators at Marseille, it is one of the most anticipated fixtures for the group stage of Olympic football.
Argentina vs Morocco
Another anticipated matchup at the Paris 2024 Olympics is between Argentina and Morocco. Considered football giants, expect the two teams to showcase their skills at the grand stage of the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium.
Argentina are the clear favourites of the matchup. Although they are not fielding legendary footballer Lionel Messi, expect a great performance from the team. This is especially true because they were the ones who beat the defending champions of the 2020 Tokyo football Olympics, Brazil.
Although they have a solid lineup going into the Paris 2024 Olympics, Morocco will have to put up a fight to win this matchup. Having secured their spot after defeating Mali in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations, this is their return to the Olympic games after a 12-year absence. Nonetheless, expect an electrifying match between the two on July 24.
Spain vs Egypt
Spain vs Egypt is a Group C matchup you can’t miss out on, alongside the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, both teams played to a goalless draw in the group stage. From there, both teams went on to advance, with Spain ultimately securing the silver medal after losing to Brazil in the final.
This history of close competition, combined with their repeat encounter in the group stage, has set the stage for an intensely anticipated rematch. As the football tournament is set to kick off on July 30th, fans are eagerly awaiting this thrilling clash between Spain and Egypt.
These are just three of the most anticipated matches in the Paris Olympics 2024 and are seen as football prediction highlights in most Olympics betting sites. Make sure not to miss out by staying updated on the event as it kicks off in July 2024.
