The dominance of Latin American football in the Olympics has come to an end, but not before witnessing the rise of great figures such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, Javier Saviola, Carlos Tévez, Juan Román Riquelme, Giovani dos Santos, Oribe Peralta, and Raúl Jiménez, as well as coaches like Marcelo Bielsa, Luis Fernando Tena, and André Jardine.

It had become a tradition to see a Latin American team win the gold medal in the last five editions of the Olympics, but following Argentina’s elimination in the quarterfinals of Paris 2024, this cherished tradition has been broken. The new champion will now be determined among Morocco, Spain, France, and Egypt.

Tokyo 2020 - Brazil

Brazil became the Olympic football champion for the second time. In the 2020 edition, held a year later due to the pandemic, André Jardine’s team lived up to expectations by reaching the final. In the decisive match, Brazil defeated Spain 2-1 with goals from Matheus Cunha and Malcom. During the tournament, the South American team demonstrated its strength by eliminating Mexico in the semifinals with a decisive 4-1 victory. Additionally, Brazil showed its dominance in the group stage, notably defeating Egypt.

Rio 2016 - Brazil

After losing to Mexico in the final at London 2012, the host nation in that edition came back with a hunger for revenge and achieved glory by drawing 1-1 against Germany in the final, ultimately winning in the penalty shootout with Neymar as the standout player of the team.

London 2012 - Mexico

In the London Olympics, the gold medal in football had a completely tricolor shine. Mexico, which initially only aspired to win a medal, surprised by reaching the final with an exceptional team. On the way to gold, they eliminated Japan and Senegal in the previous rounds. Although facing Brazil in the final seemed a formidable challenge, a goal from Oribe Peralta in the first minute of play was crucial in steering the victory and securing glory for Mexico.

Beijing 2008 – Argentina

Argentina was crowned South American champion in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The Albiceleste, with a golden generation and standout players such as Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Ángel Di María, Sergio Agüero, and Fernando Gago, reached the final under the guidance of Sergio Batista.

After a flawless group stage, Argentina advanced to the semifinals where they defeated the Netherlands and then Brazil with a decisive 3-0 victory. In the final, despite facing challenges, they secured a narrow victory over Nigeria thanks to a goal from Ángel Di María, assisted by Messi. At ages 19 and 18, these young stars would go on to bring many more joys to their country in the years to come.

Athens 2004 – Argentina

In the Athens 2004 Olympics, Argentina marked the beginning of South American dominance in men’s football. The Albiceleste, combining the experience of veterans like Gabriel Heinze, Roberto Ayala, and Kily González with the talent of young prospects like Javier Saviola, Luciano Figueroa, Chelito Delgado, and Carlos Tévez, shone in the tournament.

Under the direction of Marcelo Bielsa, Argentina lived up to its favorite status by defeating rivals such as Serbia, Costa Rica, and Italy with great effectiveness. In the final, they triumphed over Paraguay, led by José Cardozo, with a solitary goal from Carlos Tévez that secured the gold for Argentina.