This summer has been an epic time for international football; with Euro 2024 and the Copa America done and dusted and, next up, the Olympics 2024 are about to start in France.
The Olympic football extravaganza will have stars aplenty on show, with U23 squads and three players over the age of 23 permitted per team. The SBOTOP Olympics 2024 betting odds make Argentina, France and Spain the favourites to win the Gold Medal; their Olympic teams are clearly as competitive as their national sides. So let’s take a look at three of the big name players ready for action, one from each nation… and then a fourth megastar from Morocco.
Julian Alvarez
Argentina have recently added the Copa America title to their World Cup title and they will have four World Cup winners at Paris 2024; Nicolas Otamendi, Geronimo Rulli and Thiago Almada, with the highest profile being Manchester City’s versatile striker Julian Alvarez.
With nine goals in 36 games for Argentina Alvarez is a classy performer, trusted by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to lead the line as an alternative to Erling Braut Haaland. Alvarez is very quick and a great finisher with his right foot, while linking up play with Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, often with devastating effect. He presses aggressively and can work in tight spaces, and Alvarez has all the attributes to succeed in the helter skelter Premier League. If Argentina wins the Gold Medal, Alvarez and his three international team-mates will make history as the first men to follow a World title with Olympic Gold.
Alexandre Lacazette
Former Arsenal star Lacazette is a Lyon legend, having retuned to the club he first made his name at when he began his senior career at the age of 19. Now 33, Lacazette will represent his country for the first time in seven years and will captain the hosts, and he might even play at the Olympique Lyonnais stadium if France reaches the semi-finals.
Lacazette started his career as a wide player and soon became a central striker at Lyon, where he was Ligue 1 top scorer and Ligue 1 Player of the Year before Arsene Wenger took him to the Emirates in a club record fee of 53m Euros. He won the FA Cup with the Gunners before returning to Lyon, in 2022, where he is the club’s second top scorer of all time. It will be a hugely proud moment for Lacazette and Lyon if he can win a Gold Medal.
Fermin Lopez
Euro 2024 winners Spain have representatives flying straight from Germany to France and one player sure to feature in the Olympics 2024 highlights is Barcelona’s 21 year old star Fermin Lopez. Alongside Alex Baena, he will follow Barca’s Pedri in competing at the Euros and Olympics in the same year, as Pedri did in 2021. Lopez had exactly five days rest before he left La Roja’s celebrations to link up with the Olympic team in readiness for their first game, on Wednesday at the Parc des Prince in Paris where Spain will face Uzbekistan. Then they will move south to Bordeaux to meet the Dominican Republic and Egypt; and the Spaniards will expect to win all three of their openers.
Lopez has impressed in Catalonia and his form for club ad country has alerted Europe’s biggest clubs, including Premier League free spenders Chelsea who have been reported to have made an offer, but well below the Blaugrana’s expectations and the player’s release clause. After making his first team debut last August Lopez has quickly grown into a mature player and he will give opposition defences plenty to worry about in the coming week.
Achraf Hakimi
When Morocco reached the semi-final of the World Cup in 2022 they became everybody’s second favourite team, much as the surprise package of Turkey did at the Euros this year. And while the African Olympic side is not as highly rated as Argentina, France and Spain they do have a world star in their ranks in the shape of Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi. He was a key part of Morocco’s 2022 squad, the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-final, and the 25 year old is, without doubt, one of the best players at the Olympics.
Hakimi is a quick and powerful player, strong in defence and eager to support his team’s attacks from his wing-back position. He has an impressive range of passes and Hakimi has also played as an attacking winger, so his delivery into the penalty area will give Morocco’s strikers plenty to feast upon.
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