While the European Championships and Copa America are now on hiatus for another four years, a spectacular summer of football continues with the imminent men's and women's Paris 2024 Olympics competitions.
From July 24 to August 10, 16 men's teams and 16 women's teams will be gunning for gold in the French capital, where Brazil are the reigning champions in the male event, while Canada triumphed in the women's competition at Tokyo 2020.
The latter nation are set to defend their gold medal in Paris, but there will be a new set of Olympic kings crowned next month, as Brazil failed to qualify for the 2024 Games.
For all 16 men's teams, managers can only select three players over the age of 23, but the women's competition is not burdened by such restrictions, and here, Sports Mole picks out the best male and female footballers competing at this year's Olympics.
BEST MEN'S FOOTBALLERS AT PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS
Nicolas Otamendi (Argentina Under-23s | Benfica)
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The oldest male footballer taking part in the Paris Games at 36 years of age, Nicolas Otamendi sports the captain's armband for Argentina on the back of helping the reigning Copa America champions defend their continental crown this summer.
Otamendi started just one of La Albiceleste's matches en route to Copa glory, though, as Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez have ousted the ageing former Manchester City man from the Argentina XI, but he is still going strong for Portuguese giants Benfica.
Also a World Cup winner with his nation in 2022, Otamendi has won 117 caps for his nation and will be making his Olympics debut this summer, which could prove a fitting end to a glittering international career.
Thiago Almada (Argentina Under-23s | Botafogo)
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At the other end of the Argentina experience scale, 23-year-old playmaker Thiago Almada was also a member of the Albiceleste's triumphant 2022 World Cup-winning team in Qatar, becoming the first-ever MLS player to win the tournament.
Almada's World Cup success came before an exceptional 2023 MLS season with Atlanta United, where he had a direct hand in 28 goals in 33 matches - 12 of his own and 16 assists - helping his side reach the MLS Cup playoffs.
The 23-year-old heads to Paris just a couple of weeks on from switching allegiances to Brazilian side Botafogo, and he made two appearances for Argentina at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, albeit while totalling just 21 minutes; expect him to play a more prominent role this time around.
Castello Lukeba (France Under-23s | RB Leipzig)
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One of the jewels in the France crown, 21-year-old RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba makes a swift return to his homeland after leaving Lyon for the Bundesliga last year, quickly making his mark at the Red Bull Arena.
Lukeba turned out 41 times for Die Roten Bullen in the 2023-24 season, coming up with one goal in the Bundesliga and also starting seven Champions League matches as Leipzig reached the last 16 before losing to eventual winners Real Madrid.
Capped at senior international level for the first time in October 2023, Lukeba ultimately failed to do enough for Euro 2024 selection but could put himself in the shop window once again in Paris amid reported interest from Chelsea.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (France Under-23s | Crystal Palace)
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The renaissance of Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta was one of the most unexpected success stories in the second half of the 2023-24 Premier League season, as the Frenchman blossomed under the wing of new boss Oliver Glasner.
The Eagles' lack of a true threat in the number nine role had plagued them for some time - neither Mateta nor Odsonne Edouard were cutting the mustard on a consistent basis - but the former notched an exceptional 13 goals in his last 13 games of the season.
A final-day hat-trick against Aston Villa punched Mateta's ticket to his first Olympics, where he will be one of three overage players in Thierry Henry's selection along with his potential strike partner - see below.
Alexandre Lacazette (France Under-23s | Lyon)
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Donning the captain's armband for France at their home Olympics, 33-year-old Alexandre Lacazette shoulders a huge burden for the Games hosts this summer, as Henry's men are no doubt one of the favourites for the gold medal.
The ex-Arsenal man lost his golden touch during his final two years at the Emirates but remains as clinical as ever in Ligue 1, underscored by 46 goals in 64 top-flight matches since rejoining Lyon from the Gunners in the summer of 2022.
Lacazette was restricted to a mere 16 appearances for France during his senior international career, having never truly won over Didier Deschamps, but the stage is set for the Bleus captain to continue making French nets ripple for fun.
Alex Baena (Spain Under-23s | Villarreal)
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From ruthless finishers to prolific playmakers, there is no respite for Alex Baena of Spain, as the Villarreal midfielder was part of La Roja's triumphant Euro 2024-winning team, although he played just 25 minutes of his country's run to glory.
The 22-year-old will expect to act as Spain's creator-in-chief at the Olympics, though, having registered a staggering 14 assists in 34 La Liga matches in the 2023-24 campaign, the joint-most of any player alongside Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams.
Baena was rewarded for his rise with a new contract at Villarreal until 2028 last year, although he made headlines for the wrong reasons when he allegedly made a comment about the unborn child of Real Madrid's Federico Valverde - which he denied - leading the Uruguayan to purportedly throw a punch at him in a car park.
Pau Cubarsi (Spain Under-23s | Barcelona)
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While the men's Olympic tournament often provides a platform for previously unheralded young talents to make their mark, 17-year-old Spain defender Pau Cubarsi - the youngest player in the male event - has already done that and then some.
The 2007-born centre-back quickly earned the trust of Xavi last season and turned out 24 times for the senior Barcelona team in all tournaments, earning rave reviews for his assured rearguard displays well beyond his years.
Now protected by a €500m (£420m) release clause in his new Barcelona contract, Cubarsi just missed out on selection for Euro 2024 but could now return to Catalonia with an Olympic medal around his neck.
Michael Olise (France Under-23s | Bayern Munich)
![Crystal Palace's Michael Olise pictured on May 19, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/25/michael-olise.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Crystal Palace's Michael Olise pictured on May 19, 2024 [IMAGO]")
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A name best not mentioned in the presence of Chelsea supporters, the tricky Michael Olise snubbed the Blues twice in the transfer market, once to sign a new contract with Crystal Palace and again to join German giants Bayern Munich for £44.6m this summer.
The 22-year-old earned his marquee move to the Allianz Arena on the back of contributing 10 goals and six assists from 19 Premier League matches in an injury-hit 2023-24 season; let us not forget he was donning the colours of crisis club Reading a little over three years ago.
Still eligible to represent France or England at international level, the winger has warmed up for the Olympics in scintillating fashion with three goals in three games for the Under-23s, including a fabulous 20-yard curler against Japan on Wednesday night.
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco Under-23s | Paris Saint-Germain)
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A panenka penalty to send Morocco into the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals may have been the previous zenith of Achraf Hakimi's international career, but an Olympic medal would surely top that cheeky chip.
Still regarded as one of the best full-backs on the planet, Hakimi was responsible for five goals and seven assists for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2023-24 season after helping Morocco become the first African nation in history to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
A year and a half later, the Madrid-born defender sports his country's armband at the Paris Olympics, where the weight of expectation will fall even heavier on his shoulders given that he is competing in familiar surroundings.
Julian Alvarez (Argentina Under-23s | Manchester City)
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Another player quickly hopping from one major international tournament to another, Manchester City's Julian Alvarez jets off to France after netting twice during Argentina's run to Copa America supremacy, including in the semi-final win over Canada.
The 24-year-old - who has been heavily linked with a summer transfer away from the Premier League champions - also completed 97 minutes of the victory over Colombia in the final, triggering concern over the possibility of burnout as his wait for a holiday goes on.
Alvarez is forced to play second fiddle to Erling Haaland at Man City, perhaps one of his motivations for a summer exit, but the former River Plate protege should be promoted from bridesmaid to bride at the Olympics.
BEST WOMEN'S FOOTBALLERS AT PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS
Aitana Bonmati (Spain Women | Barcelona)
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The reigning Ballon d'Or Feminin, Barcelona midfield maestro Aitana Bonmati scooped the prestigious individual honour after spearheading Spain's charge to World Cup glory in 2023, also being presented with the tournament's Golden Ball award.
In addition to her success Down Under, Bonmati collected a quartet of honours with Barcelona in the 2023-24 campaign, as the Catalan powerhouses emerged victorious in Liga F, the Women's Champions League - where she opened the scoring in the final - the Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de Espana.
Across 35 Liga F and Champions League appearances, the 26-year-old chalked up 14 goals of her own and set up 15 more, and she may struggle to find space on her shelves for an Olympic honour as her individual accolades continue to stack up.
Marta (Brazil Women | Orlando Pride)
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One of, if not the, most recognisable name in women's football over the past decade, 38-year-old Brazilian sensation Marta will compete in an astonishing sixth successive Olympic Games this summer after making her debut as a teenager at Athens 2004.
Where to begin with Marta's record-breaking achievements; she was the first player to score at five consecutive Olympics, has found the back of the net 17 times at World Cups - more than any other man or woman - and is a six-time World Player of the Year.
However, the elusive Olympic title is still missing from the Orlando Pride attacker's CV, as she finished as runner-up with Brazil at the 2004 and 2008 Games, and the Paris tournament represents her final chance to go for gold; she is set to retire from international football at the end of the year.
Alexia Putellas (Spain Women | Barcelona)
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Sandwiched in between Marta and Bonmati's Player of the Year triumphs, the latter's Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas conquered the women's football scene in 2021 and 2022, winning back-to-back Ballon d'Or Feminin prizes in spite of a cruel injury.
The women's game has been hit by several cases of ACL ruptures in recent years, and Putellas's injury in the summer of 2022 robbed her of the chance to compete at that year's Euros, but she returned to play a bit-part role in their World Cup triumph a year down the line.
However, the 30-year-old was critical to Barcelona's magnificent trophy haul last season with 11 goals and five assists across 25 Liga F and Champions League appearances - netting the second goal in the final of the latter tournament - and no player in the Spain squad can boast more caps than her 119.
Catalina Usme (Colombia Women | Pachuca)
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Not the most instantly recognisable name in the women's Olympic roster, but few players can match the goalscoring feats of Colombia hitwoman Catalina Usme, whose 93 international appearances have produced an astounding 72 goals.
To put that into context, she has double the amount of international goals as Radamel Falcao, the all-time top scorer for the Colombia men's team with 36 to his name from 104 appearances, and two of her strikes came at last year's Women's World Cup.
The 34-year-old scored the only goal in Colombia's last-16 win over Jamaica before they were bested by England in the quarter-finals, and she has already turned out for Colombia at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, netting twice in the latter tournament.
Wendie Renard (France Women | Lyon)
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As Lacazette skippers the French men's team at their home Games, 33-year-old defender Wendie Renard leads the women's team out onto home turf, where she has already achieved extraordinary success in a Lyon jersey.
A one-club woman, Renard has won eight Champions League titles and 16 Ligue 1 titles but is yet to earn a major honour at international level, where she has only clinched two Cyprus Cups and one SheBelieves Cup.
That is certainly not for a lack of trying from the 6ft 2in, 160-cap defender - who also has 38 goals for her nation - and she came agonisingly close an Olympic podium finish in 2012, where France lost to Canada in the bronze medal match.
Eugenie Le Sommer (France Women | Lyon)
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The only player in the French ranks to have won more caps than Renard, no Bleus footballer male or female has scored more times for the Olympic hosts than Eugenie Le Sommer, whose 192 appearances have produced 93 goals.
Also an eight-time European champion with Lyon, Le Sommer helped France reach the final of the 2023-24 Nations League - where they lost to Spain - and registered a respectable 10 goals in 15 top-flight matches in 2023-24.
The 35-year-old also made her mark Down Under with three goals at the 2023 Women's World Cup - two of which came in the last-16 win over Morocco - and few attackers can claim to have dominated the European scene in the same manner over the past 15 years.
Alexandra Popp (Germany Women | Wolfsburg)
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Both the top appearance maker and highest goalscorer in Germany's selection - notching 67 goals from 139 matches - Wolfsburg forward Alexandra Popp already has one Olympic gold in her collection from the Rio 2016 Games.
However, that tournament was not the most memorable one for Popp on an individual level, as she failed to directly contribute to a goal in the knockout rounds, although she came up with a joint-high six goals at Euro 2022 before being cruelly ruled out of the final loss to England through injury.
Back with a vengeance at the 2023 World Cup, Popp scored another four goals for her nation Down Under before registering seven goals and nine assists in 19 Bundesliga games last term, underlining her status as one of the tournament's biggest dangerwomen.
Barbra Banda (Zambia Women | Orlando Pride)
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A trailblazer for both country and continent, Zambia 24-year-old Barbra Banda heads to Paris with a staggering 53 goals under her belt from 61 matches for the national team, one of which came in a World Cup success over Costa Rica last year.
Prior to the global gathering, Banda also made the world sit up and take notice when she scored a brace in a shock friendly win over Germany, and the Orlando Pride attacker is also well-versed in Olympic goalscoring too.
Indeed, she scored back-to-back hat-tricks against the Netherlands and China in the 2021 event - a feat no other female Olympian has ever achieved - and she already has 12 goals to show from her first 12 National Women's Soccer League appearances.
Hinata Miyazawa (Japan Women | Manchester United)
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The latest winner of the Women's World Cup Golden Boot, Japanese attacker Hinata Miyazawa struck an unprecedented five goals at the 2023 tournament, including a double and one assist in a 4-0 upset of eventual winners Spain in the group stage.
The 24-year-old also earned a spot in the IFFHS Women's World Team of the Year on account of her unrivalled attacking feats at the World Cup, which earned her a marquee move to Manchester United just a few weeks later.
Miyazawa is yet to set the Women's Super League alight, only coming up with one goal and one assist in 12 matches for the national team thus far, but she is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the Japan strip.
Salma Paralluelo (Spain Women | Barcelona)
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Sticking with the theme of players who won individual accolades at the 2023 World Cup, Spain wing wizard Salma Paralluelo was named the Best Young Player of the competition before also finishing in the top three of the Ballon d'Or voting.
The 20-year-old's rapid rise to stardom continued in the domestic season with Barcelona, where she scored a phenomenal 20 goals in just 19 Liga F matches - just one behind top scorer Caroline Graham Hansen - in addition to striking six times in the Champions League.
The only women's player to win the World Cup at senior, Under-20 and Under-17 level, Paralluelo could now add an Olympic honour to her collection alongside her three world titles. Twenty years old.
Ben Knapton
