Brazil, defending the title won on home soil in Rio de Janeiro five years ago, take on Spain in the decider, with both sides unbeaten at Tokyo 2020 and vindicating their shared status of pre-tournament favourites.
Victory for Spain would mean their first football gold since 1992
The Olympic Games football tournament might not always hold the same allure as other major international tournaments. Still, Saturday’s gold medal match promises to be a spectacular encounter between two of the game’s heavyweights. Brazil, defending the title won on home soil in Rio de Janeiro five years ago, take on Spain in the decider, with both sides unbeaten at Tokyo 2020 and vindicating their shared status of pre-tournament favourites. Victory for Spain would mean their first football gold since triumphing in Barcelona almost 30 years ago. At the same time, Brazil have the opportunity to emulate neighbours Hungary, Uruguay and Argentina by winning back-to-back Olympic titles. Hopes are high for the Selecao, then, but perhaps just as crucially, the Olympic spirit has permeated the camp throughout the Tokyo extravaganza.
The Olympics are special because you live in that amateur spirit, Andres D’Alessandro says
Football often holds an uneasy relationship with the Games. Its stars are used to a cosseted existence amongst themselves in luxury hotels, while, unlike most Olympic sports, gold is not considered the pinnacle of a player’s career. Go into it with the right attitude, though, and the experience can be magical. “The Olympics are special because you live in that amateur spirit, in the Olympic Village, and that is fantastic because things happen which don’t happen in other competitions,” Andres D’Alessandro, a 2004 gold-medallist with Argentina. “It’s great sharing an apartment with another team, taking the bus to have breakfast, sharing your table with athletes from other sports. We all used to meet up with other Argentine athletes to eat, and that was really amazing.” But soaking up the essence of the Games, win or lose, can prove a challenge.
Brazil superstar Ronaldinho appeared infamously unimpressed with his bronze at Beijing 2008, even fielding a telephone call on the podium while his teammates looked on in confusion. Those representing their country are not just expected to do their best when their turn comes: they must also cheer on compatriots in whatever discipline might be running at the time, from Weightlifting to Water Polo.