With an identical game format to traditional FIFA competitions, it can be difficult at first to see what separates Olympic football from the usual international game.

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Look a little closer, however, and the differences become apparent - the squad size is limited to 18, forcing some hard choices on management. More importantly, for the men’s competition, there is an age limit of 23 for all but three players in the squad, skewing the competition towards up-and-coming players rather than allowing nations to simply field their national sides.

As such, the Olympics is a place to see football stars of the future, with the likes of Ferenc Puskas, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi all having represented their countries.

RadioTimes.com brings you our guide to football at the Olympic Games in 2024.

Don’t miss a minute of the Games with our complete 16-day Olympics TV Guide download, including how to watch all the action on TV, online, on catch-up and on the radio.

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Read more: Olympics TV coverage | Olympics radio coverage | Olympics presenters and commentators

When is football at the Olympics 2024?

Football at the Olympics begins on Wednesday 24th July and runs until Saturday 10th August.

Team GB football at the Olympics 2024

Unfortunately, there will be no Team GB football teams at the Olympics in 2024.

Because there are separate football associations in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with only England’s being affiliated with the IOC, it has traditionally been difficult for a GB team to take part in Olympic football. As hosts in 2012 a team was put together, but before and after that Team GB has largely chosen not to compete in men’s Olympic football, while the women’s team failed to qualify for the 2024 tournament.

Olympics 2024 football on TV

You can tune in to watch every single minute of every event live on discovery+ throughout the Olympic Games 2024 in the UK.

All of this summer's Olympic action will be broadcast across the discovery+ online streaming platform, totalling around 3,800 hours over the course of the Games, while the Eurosport channels will host wall-to-wall coverage each day.

Fans will be spoiled for choice with more than 55 live feeds constantly rolling to cover every single event.

BBC will boast 250 hours of live coverage throughout the Games. Check out what they will show on their limited live feeds each day with our downloadable Olympics TV Guide or our online Olympics on Today Guide.

Olympics 2024 football schedule

All UK time. Subject to change.

Men's

Wednesday 24th July

Group B: Argentina v Morocco (2pm) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Group C: Uzbekistan v Spain (2pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Group C: Egypt v Dominican Republic (4pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Group A: Guinea v New Zealand (4pm) Stade de Nice

Group B: Iraq v Ukraine (6pm) Stade de Lyon

Group D: Japan v Paraguay (6pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Group A: France v USA (8pm) Stade de Marseille

Group D: Mali v Israel (8pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Saturday 27th July

Group B: Argentina v Iraq (2pm) Stade de Lyon

Group C: Dominican Republic v Spain (2pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Group C: Uzbekistan v Egypt (4pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Group B: Ukraine v Morocco (4pm) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Group A: New Zealand v USA (6pm) Stade de Marseille

Group D: Israel v Paraguay (6pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Group A: France v Guinea (8pm) Stade de Nice

Group D: Japan v Mali (8pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Tuesday 30th July

Group C: Dominican Republic v Uzbekistan (2pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Group C: Spain v Egypt (2pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Group B: Ukraine v Argentina (4pm) Stade de Lyon

Group B: Morocco v Iraq (4pm) Stade de Nice

Group A: New Zealand v France (6pm) Stade de Marseille

Group A: USA v Guinea (6pm) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Group D: Israel v Japan (8pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Group D: Paraguay v Mali (8pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Friday 2nd August

QF1: 1B v 2A (2pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

QF2: 1D v 2C (4pm) Stade de Lyon

QF3: 1C v 2D (6pm) Stade de Marseille

QF4: 1A v 2B (8pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Monday 5th August

SF1: Winner Match QF1 v Winner Match QF2 (5pm) Stade de Marseille

SF2: Winner Match QF4 v Winner Match QF3 (8pm) Stade de Lyon

Thursday 8th August

Bronze medal match: Loser SF1 v Loser Match SF2 (4pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Friday 9th August

Gold medal match: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (5pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Women's

Thursday 25th July

Group C: Spain v Japan (4pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Group A: Canada v New Zealand (4pm) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Group C: Nigeria v Brazil (6pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Group B: Germany v Australia (6pm) Stade de Marseille

Group A: France v Colombia (8pm) Stade de Lyon

Group B: USA v Zambia (8pm) Stade de Nice

Sunday 28th July

Group C: Brazil v Japan (4pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

Group A: New Zealand v Colombia (4pm) Stade de Lyon

Group C: Spain v Nigeria (6pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Group B: Australia v Zambia (6pm) Stade de Nice

Group A: France v Canada (8pm) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Group B: USA v Germany (8pm) Stade de Marseille

Wednesday 31st July

Group C: Brazil v Spain (4pm) Stade de Bordeaux

Group C: Japan v Nigeria (4pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Group B: Australia v USA (6pm) Stade de Marseille

Group B: Zambia v Germany (6pm) Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne

Group A: New Zealand v France (8pm) Stade de Lyon

Group A: Colombia v Canada (8pm) Stade de Nice

Saturday 3rd August

QF1: 1B v 2C (2pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

QF2: 1C v 3A/B (4pm) Stade de Lyon

QF3: 2A v 2B (6pm) Stade de Marseille

QF4: 1A v 3B/C (8pm) Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes

Tuesday 6th August

SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF3 (5pm) Stade de Lyon

SF2: Winner QF4 v Winner QF2 (8pm) Stade de Marseille

Friday 9th August

Bronze medal match: Loser SF1 v Loser SF2 (2pm) Stade de Lyon

Saturday 10th August

Gold medal match: Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (4pm) Parc des Princes, Paris

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