Sports Desk, Mar 21 (EFE).- Two-time Olympic champions Argentina were drawn in Group B along with Morocco, Ukraine, and the third-placed finisher in the upcoming 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup in the Paris Olympics’ men’s football.
Barcelona 1992 champions Spain will play in Group C alongside Paraguay, Mali, Israel, and the runners-up in the Asian qualifying tournament, which will be held in Qatar in April-May, according to the draw held in the French capital on Wednesday.
Paris 2024 host France will play the first game of the tournament against the United States on July 24 after both nations were drawn in Group A.
The match will take place two days before the opening ceremony. France’s only Olympic football title was won on US soil 40 years ago in Los Angeles in 1984.
Olympic men’s football debutant New Zealand and the winner of the play-off between the third Asian team and Guinea are the other teams in the group.
Olympic men’s football brings the intriguing prospect of Lionel Messi returning to Paris to compete for his Argentina team that won gold medals in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, with the Inter Miami star being a very active part of their last successful campaign.
As each team is allowed to include three players above the age of 23, French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo stated on Wednesday he would “put pressure” on Real Madrid to release Kylian Mbappe to compete in the Pairs meet.
Mbappe is currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain but may join the Madrid side by the time the Olympics start in July. EFE
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