In just one week, the two best U-23 teams will play in the Paris 2024 Olympics men's soccer final, but only one will leave France with a gold medal.
For the first time in eight years, a team other than Brazil will take home a gold medal in men's soccer. After winning gold at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, the Selecao failed to qualify for this summer's tournament, leaving the door wide open for a new Olympic champion.
France and Spain came into the Paris 2024 Olympics as the favorites to win the competition's ultimate prize. Anything can happen at the Olympics, though, especially when dark horses, like Morocco, are performing at the highest level.
The Paris 2024 Olympics men's soccer final kicks off on Friday, Aug. 9, at 12 p.m. ET. The two semi-finals winners will face off in Paris at the Parc des Princes to see which team gets to bring home the gold medal, and which must settle for silver.
The men's gold medal match will unfold one day before the women's gold medal match. Like the women, the men will have just three full days of rest before playing the most important match of the tournament.
The final will follow the same guidelines as the previous knockout matches. If the score is level at the end of 90 minutes, then the game will proceed into extra time.
Without a deciding goal in extra time, the game will go straight to a penalty shootout to decide the gold medalists.
The Paris 2024 Olympics men's soccer bronze medal match will unfold on Thursday, Aug. 8, at 11 a.m. ET. The two semi-final losers will play one last game to decide the third and fourth-place finishers.
The winners of the bronze medal match will be the final team on the podium at the conclusion of the tournament.
10 Ways To Help Your Body Detoxify Itself Naturally