This rule has been in force since Barcelona 1992. The success of the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 led FIFA to ban the sport from the Games. In fact, it was removed from the programme in Los Angeles 1932 and returned in Berlin 1936 on an amateur basis.
At Los Angeles 1984, the rules were changed so that professional teams could play, with the exception of UEFA and CONMEBOL teams, which could play but only if they had not played in a senior World Cup.
Thus, the list of Olympic gold medal winners includes some great players - but the list is, of course, far from the list that could be drawn up for the World Cup.
Lionel Messi
A World Cup winner with Argentina in Qatar 2022, he won gold for the Albiceleste in Beijing 2008, revalidating the title won four years earlier in Athens 2004. Messi scored twice in a strong team that also included Ángel Di María, Sergio Agüero, Riquelme and Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Argentina defeated Nigeria in the final with a goal from Di María, having previously beaten arch-rivals Brazil 3-0 in the semi-finals and the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Carlos Tevez
Tevez won Argentina's first Olympic gold at Athens 2004 and was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals. He scored in all the qualifiers; three goals against Costa Rica in the quarter-finals, one against Italy in the semi-finals and another against Paraguay in the final.
The Albiceleste also included Saviola, Kily González, Heinze, D'Alessandro and Lucho González.
Neymar
At Rio 2016, Brazil put an end to their curse at the Olympic tournament and won gold for the first time. Until then, they had won three silver medals (Los Angeles 1984 against France, Seoul 1988 against the USSR and London 2012 against Mexico).
The final against Germany ended in a 1-1 draw after Neymar and Meyer scored. Penalty kicks were the verdict and it was Neymar himself who scored Brazil's last kick. Before that, the Canarinha had eliminated Honduras in the semi-finals (6-0 and two goals from the Al-Hilal striker) and Colombia in the quarter-finals (2-0 and a goal from the former Barcelona and PSG player).
Luis Enrique
The former national team coach at Euro 2020 and the World Cup in Qatar 2022 has a long career with Spain as a footballer. In addition to playing in the World Cups of USA 1994, France 1998 and South Korea-Japan 2002 and the UEFA European Championship in England 1996, he also has an Olympic gold medal.
At Barcelona 1992, in a spectacular atmosphere at Camp Nou, Spain beat Poland 3-2 in the final, with Kiko scoring a brace and Abelardo another goal. Earlier, Spain had beaten Ghana in the semi-finals and Italy in the quarter-finals.
That generation also included Santi Cañizares, Pep Guardiola, Albert Ferrer, José Emilio Amavisca and Alfonso Pérez.
Samuel Eto'o
In Sydney 2000, Cameroon continued the winning streak of African football, started by Nigeria in Atlanta 1996, and won Olympic gold after defeating Spain on penalties. In that final, the national team took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Xavi Hernandez and Gabri. but Ivan Amaya scored an own goal and Eto'o equalised.
Cameroon had beaten Ronaldinho's Brazil in the quarter-finals 2-1 and Ivan Zamorano's Chile in the semi-finals by the same scoreline. Patrick M'Boma, Lauren and Modeste M'Bami were also in that team.
