Football —Olympics: Football is considered to be the most popular sport in the world. It is a team sport played between two teams with 11 players each. Football is a ball game. The game is played on a rectangular grass field with a goal at each end of the ground. The object of the game is to score by directing the ball into the opponent goal. The team which scores the most goals by the end of the match is the winner. Football is also known widely known as association football or soccer.
Football in the Summer Games: Men's football was introduced to the Summer Olympics in 1900. Since then, the football tournament has always been held during the Summer Games except the 1932 Games. Women's football was included in the Olympics' program in 1996. Professional footballers are allowed to participate in the men's tournament. However, the age of the players of men's teams is restricted under 23 years old with the exception of three over - age players. No such age restriction is applicable for the women's tournament so far.
Football at the 2008 Summer Games: At the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing , the football matches will be held from 6 th August to 24 th August . The finals of the football tournaments will be held on 22 nd and 23 rd August . Men's under 23 teams and women's teams from various countries will participate in the competition. There will be 16 teams in men's tournament and 12 teams in women's tournament . Two gold medals will be given away in the football tournaments in the Summer Games . Football preliminaries will be held at the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Qinhuangdao , Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai , Shenyang Wulihe Stadium in Shenyang and Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium in Tianjin . The other venues of the football matches during the Beijing Summer Games are Olympic Sports Centre Stadium and Workers' Stadium in Chaoyang District , Beijing .
Roberto Ayala, Carlos Tevez, Javier Saviola, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Dida, Samuel Eto'o, Nwanko Kanu, Alberto Gilardino, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Puyol are some star footballers who have played over the years in the Summer Games .
Briana Scurry, Heather Mitts, Aly Wagner, Christie Patricia Rampone r, Cindy Parlow, Kate Markgraf, Mary Abigail Wambach, Heather Ann O'Reilly, Miraildes Maciel Mota, Marta Vieira da Silva, Birgit Prinz and Isabell Bachor are the women footballers who have played in the Summer Games .
