Soccer, known as football outside of the United States, was formally introduced into the Summer Olympics at the 1908 London Games on the men's side and the 1996 Atlanta Games on the women's side.
Up until 1984, only amateur players under the age of 23 were allowed to compete in Olympic soccer. However, at the Summer Games in Los Angeles, the International Olympic Committee allowed countries to field full professional teams. This lasted for just two Olympics as 1992's Games in Barcelona changed the rules again, allowing only three players over the age of 23 per country to participate in Olympic soccer.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Argentina defeated Nigeria to take home the men's gold, while the United States topped Brazil to secure the women's gold.
by Ray Salloom
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