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Is Lamine Yamal playing at the Olympics? Latest on Spain and Barcelona star’s availability for 2024 Paris Games


Lamine Yamal was one of the stars of Euro 2024 as Spain became champions of Europe for a record fourth time.

The Barcelona winger, who assisted Nico Williams’ opening goal in the 2-1 final victory over England, was named the Young Player of the Tournament for his outstanding displays in Germany.

Spain will now be hoping for a double success this summer in men’s football. They are competing at the Olympics in Paris and will be bidding to win gold for the first time since their home Games in Barcelona in 1992, when Pep Guardiola was among the players in the squad.

Lamine Yamal is eligible for Spain given his age, but will he be taking part in event?

MORE: The story behind the viral photo of Lionel Messi and baby Lamine Yamal

Is Lamine Yamal playing at the Olympics?

Lamine Yamal will not be playing at the 2024 Olympic Games after being left out of the Spain squad.

While the Barcelona teenager would have been eligible as a player under the age of 23, his participation at Euro 2024 made it highly unlikely his club would then sanction his release for the Olympics, especially with their preseason plans now under way.

Lamine Yamal’s Barca teammates Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, and Fermin Lopez — who was also at Euro 2024, but played less football than the winger — are all representing Spain in Paris.

Lamine Yamal

Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

How are Olympic squads selected?

Rules on how Olympic football squads are selected feature a crucial rule on overage players, with each qualified nation allowed to name three players aged over 23 in their squad.

That restriction does not apply to women’s squads for Olympic competition.

However, head coaches can face club-versus-country battles as football at the Olympics does not feature on the FIFA international match calendar and clubs are not required to release players if they do not wish to.

Spain’s Olympic squad

Spain coach Santi Denia named a provisional 22-man training squad for the Paris Games, which is being reduced to 18. The original list is below.

Ages correct as of July 19

Name Position Age Club
Joan Garcia GK 23 Espanyol
Alejandro Iturbe GK 20 Atletico Madrid
Arnau Tenas GK 23 PSG
Pau Cubarsi DEF 17 Barcelona
Eric Garcia DEF 23 Barcelona
Miguel Gutierrez DEF 22 Girona
Sergio Gomez DEF 23 Real Sociedad
Cristhian Mosquera DEF 20 Valencia
Juan Miranda DEF 24 Real Betis
Jon Pacheco DEF 23 Real Sociedad
Marc Pubill DEF 21 Almeria
Juanlu Sanchez DEF 20 Sevilla
Alex Baena MID 22 Villarreal
Pablo Barrios MID 21 Atletico Madrid
Fermin Lopez MID 21 Barcelona
Aimar Oroz MID 22 Osasuna
Adrian Bernabe FWD 23 Parma
Sergio Camello FWD 23 Rayo Vallecano
Diego Lopez FWD 22 Valencia
Samu Omorodion FWD 20 Alaves
Abel Ruiz FWD 24 Braga
Benat Turrientes FWD 22 Real Sociedad

*Players in BOLD are Spain’s overage picks

Spain’s Olympic record

Spain won gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 with a team that featured Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Santiago Canizares. They have also been silver medallists three times.

Year Host France Result
1900 Paris, France DNE
1904 St. Louis, United States DNE
1908 London, United Kingdom DNE
1912 Stockholm, Sweden DNE
1920 Antwerp, Belgium Silver medallists
1924 Paris, France First Round
1928 Amsterdam, Netherlands Quarterfinal
1936 Berlin, Germany Withdrew
1948 London, United Kingdom DNQ
1952 Helsinki, Finland DNQ
1956 Melbourne, Australia DNQ
1960 Rome, Italy DNQ
1964 Tokyo, Japan DNQ
1968 Mexico City, Mexico Quarterfinal
1972 Munich, West Germany DNQ
1976 Montreal, Canada Group Stage
1980 Moscow, Soviet Union Group Stage
1984 Los Angeles, United States DNQ
1988 Seoul, South Korea DNQ
1992 Barcelona, Spain Gold medallists
1996 Atlanta, United States Quarterfinal
2000 Sydney, Australia Silver medallists
2004 Athens, Greece DNQ
2008 Beijing, China DNQ
2012 London, United Kingdom Group Stage
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil DNQ
2020 Tokyo, Japan Silver medallists

*DNE indicates Did Not Enter and DNQ indicates Did Not Qualify

Olympic football champions

Below is the complete list of Olympic medallists in the men’s soccer tournament.

Year Host Gold  Silver  Bronze 
1900 Paris, France Great Britain France Belgium
1904 St. Louis, United States Canada United States None awarded
1908 London, United Kingdom Great Britain Denmark Netherlands
1912 Stockholm, Sweden Great Britain Denmark Netherlands
1920 Antwerp, Belgium Belgium Spain Netherlands
1924 Paris, France Uruguay Switzerland Sweden
1928 Amsterdam, Netherlands Uruguay Argentina Italy
1936 Berlin, Germany Italy Austria Norway
1948 London, United Kingdom Sweden Yugoslavia Denmark
1952 Helsinki, Finland Hungary Yugoslavia Sweden
1956 Melbourne, Australia Soviet Union Yugoslavia Bulgaria
1960 Rome, Italy Soviet Union Yugoslavia Denmark
1964 Tokyo, Japan Hungary Czechoslovakia East Germany
1968 Mexico City, Mexico Hungary Bulgaria Japan
1972 Munich, West Germany Poland Hungary Soviet Union
1976 Montreal, Canada East Germany Poland Soviet Union
1980 Moscow, Soviet Union Czechoslovakia East Germany Soviet Union
1984 Los Angeles, United States France Brazil Yugoslavia
1988 Seoul, South Korea Soviet Union Brazil West Germany
1992 Barcelona, Spain Spain Poland Ghana
1996 Atlanta, United States Nigeria Argentina Brazil
2000 Sydney, Australia Cameroon Spain Chile
2004 Athens, Greece Argentina Paraguay Italy
2008 Beijing, China Argentina Nigeria Brazil
2012 London, United Kingdom Mexico Brazil South Korea
2016 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil Germany Nigeria
2020 Tokyo, Japan Brazil Spain Mexico



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