April 21 – The draw for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer has thrown up group clashes between Brazil and Germany in the men’s tournament while the USA women will get the chance for revenge against Sweden who knocked them out of the 2016 tournament in Rio.
The draw was conducted earlier today at FIFA headquarters in Zurich by Jaime Yarza, FIFA Director of Tournaments, and Sarai Bareman, FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer.
The 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams drawn into seven groups. Only Japan (as hosts) and Australia have teams qualified in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
The 2012 Olympic gold medallists Mexico will open the men’s tournament against Japan. The opener in the Women’s tournament will see Japan face 2016 bronze medallists Canada. They are in the same group as Great Britain, competing as a combined England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Irish team for the first time since the London Olympics in 2012.
Both tournaments will be played in a group stage, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and bronze medal and gold medal matches.
The women’s finalists will play their gold medal match at Tokyo’s new Olympic Stadium, which will also be the setting for the Games’ opening and closing ceremonies. Sapporo, Miyagi, Kashima, Saitama and Yokohama (Men’s Final) will be the other host venues.
Draw results
Men’s Olympic Football Tournament
Group A: Japan, South Africa, Mexico, France.
Group B: New Zealand, Korea Republic, Honduras, Romania.
Group C: Egypt, Spain, Argentina, Australia.
Group D: Brazil, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia.
Women’s Olympic Football Tournament
Group E: Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Chile.
Group F: China PR, Brazil, Zambia, Netherlands.
Group G: Sweden, USA, Australia, New Zealand.
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