British Olympic Association hoping to have men’s football team at 2028 Games
British Olympic Association bosses hope to field a men’s football team at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
The BOA is planning talks with the Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to recreate a Team GB men’s football side following the success of the Paris Olympics.
Team GB women’s squad have been able to qualify for the Olympics, but did not make it through to Paris 2024.
BOA chief executive Andy Anson said on the possible participation of a Team GB men’s side: “I think it would be brilliant for football, for youth football, and for football in general.
“I think for the women’s team to compete is brilliant, and I’d love to see the men’s team compete in the same way.”
Great Britain won men’s football gold at the 1900, 1908 and 1912 Games and competed in all Olympic tournaments from 1948 through to 1972.
Independence
Plans to resurrect a GB men’s team were met with resistance by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who felt their independence in FIFA and UEFA tournaments would be jeopardised if they competed as a single entity in the Olympics.
A Team GB men’s squad – consisting of 13 English and five Welsh players – did compete in what was viewed as a one-off for the London Olympics in 2012.
The side, which included current Wales boss Craig Bellamy, was managed by Stuart Pearce and beaten at the quarter-final stage on penalties by South Korea.
Britain fielded a women’s side at London 2012 and Tokyo 2020, but were not in Paris as England – who, as the highest-ranked nation, were responsible for Team GB’s qualification – failed to make the latter stages of the Nations League.
As well as the BOA facing potential opposition from the home Associations, clubs could oppose their players being released to play Olympic football during an increasingly congested calendar.
The LA Olympics will take place between July 14-30, 2028, the Games starting within days of the final of Euro 2028 at Wembley and a few weeks before the new domestic season.
Spain added Olympic gold to their European Championship title in Paris by beating France 5-3 in the final after extra time.
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FIFA are desperate for Britain to all be included as one football team. This is one step towards that. No more draig goch, no more hen wlad fy nhadau. Dim diolch !
They really aren’t, because (as with every time this comes up) independent FIFA membership is not, and never has been, the issue. Otherwise, why admit new members like the Faroe Islands; which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark?
This is about IFAB (International Football Association Board), the rules making body. It has 8 members: the 4 “home” nations have permanent seats; the other 4 are other FIFA members appointed on a rotatating basis. The Blazerati from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales don’t want to give up their disproportionate influence; FIFA, naturally, see it differently.
The Faroe Islands although part of the Kingdom of Denmark are an autonomous territory. Scotland Northern Ireland and Cymru are not close to being autonomous territories of the UK. In the cases of new nation states applying to join FIFA can’t really refuse. FIFA’s current members probably don’t care if the Faroe Islands are admitted as they don’t think that it will affect their prospects of getting places in the finals of international competitions. The UK having four chances of getting a national team into the European and World cups and often more than one qualifying does affect their prospects.… Read more »
Much to agree with, but you didn’t mention IFAB once. Look them up; it should be fairly obvious why FIFA would like to be better represented.
For the record, I’m Scottish, I can’t see TeemGeeBee FC being anything other than an England dominated outfit, with token representation from elsewhere.
The FA ‘s of various countries have said, if you can compete at the Olympics as GB, you can also do it at the world cup. A ” one off for the London Olympics” we were told, and yet here we are again. Cymdeithas pel droed Cymru need to veto this, but just like the last time, when the Celts said no, and opposed the idea, the English went ahead anyway, regardless of our views or feelings.
The dust has not settled on the Paris Olympics and they’re floating this idea. How aggressive can you get? The Welsh FA must stamp on this with a statement tomorrow.
Never!!! We can not allow this. Gareth Bale and a bad back.
We have fully separated football national teams full of local rivalry and passion. British Lions ideal does not work in football, has also caused problems with FIFA and our unique well fought identity.
I am too young to remember, but I am sure we were forced to endure God Save the Queen before Welsh games not that long ago.
2012, GB & Northern Ireland team, naaaaa, 2016 smashed that ideal into pieces.
No Team GB.
Dear God! Like the stench from a silent but deadly fart, this just won’t go away will it? We all mucked in to help with 2012 in London to save face on a one off basis. Give an inch, take a mile. Some will point out that the women are doing it. Well it needs to stop. The Scottish and Welsh FAs would be flirting with extinction here and not all because of mischief on this island. There are forces further afield who would benefit from our nations disappearing under one banner. What happens if a men’s or women’s team… Read more »
No thanks, even though I am a man from Wales who has no problem identifying as British. We don’t want to have token Wales and Scotland players, while the world assumes GB is basically England. Will news networks highlight how GB is a combination of nations? Ofcourse not, why would they when the British embassy doesn’t even correct Korea or Japan when they use the same words for both England and Britain.
Why is football even in the olympics, along with tennis and golf, all pro players earning millions, absolutely no need for these sports to be represented at the olympics, they do not need the exposure or media attention, they already get that by the bucketful.
If Puerto Rico and Hong Kong are at the Olympics then Cymru should be as well. Team GB can **** off.
Plus Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
The British and Irish Lions does not set a precedent because it represents 2 sovereign states: the UK and Ireland, and therefore can only be considered a combined side and not a national side like Team GB. Furthermore World Rugby would be commiting financial suicide if they were to force a combined GB team, because there are only a handful of top-tier rugby nations and three of them are British. Football’s popularity reaches everywhere. Look at it from a Catalan, Basque or Quebeqois perspective. Why are we denied FIFA representation yet Scotland and Wales have theirs? Why does the UK… Read more »
Sorry mean to say independence and not importance.