The Brazilian under-23 men’s football team has failed to qualify for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics after suffering a defeat to Argentina.
Argentina’s under-23 team secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Brazil in Venezuela, earning them a spot in the summer tournament at the expense of the Brazilians. This marks the first time since 2004 that Brazil’s men’s football team will be absent from the Olympic Games.
Argentinos Juniors forward Luciano Gondou scored the decisive goal after 77 minutes, capitalizing on a delivery from Brighton left-back Valentin Barco.
The qualification spots for South America were determined through the CONMEBOL pre-Olympic tournament held in January and February, with Paraguay also securing their qualification with a 2-0 victory over Venezuela.
The top scorer of the tournament was Thiago Almada of Atlanta, tallying an impressive five goals.
The men’s football tournament at the Olympics features under-23 sides with the allowance of a maximum of three overage players.
Brazil had previously clinched consecutive gold medals at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, triumphing over Germany and Spain, respectively. However, they will not have the opportunity to defend their title at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
