The 2020 Summer Olympic football gold medal match was a football match to determine the gold medal winners of men's football tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The match was the 25th final of the men's football tournament at the Olympics, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA to decide the Olympic champions. The match was held at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, on 7 August 2021. It was played between the defending champions Brazil and Spain.
Background Since the Olympic men's football was restricted to an under-23 tournament in 1992, Brazil had played in two gold medal matches, losing to Mexico in 2012 before prevailing at home in 2016. Spain also had played twice in such occasion, winning in 1992 – also when they hosted the Olympics – and losing to Cameroon in 2000.
Albeit this was the first meeting between Brazil and Spain at the Olympic gold medal match, their senior and age-group teams had met in many finals before. The senior met in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final, in which Brazil beat the then-world champions 3–0. The two countries also met in the 1985 and 2003 FIFA World Youth Championships, as well as the final of the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship; Brazil won in all occasions.
Venue
The final was held at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, located in the Kanagawa Prefecture.
The stadium had hosted numerous international sporting events. It hosted a semi-final and the final of the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as three matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup including the final; Brazil's senior team won the latter.
Referee The referee in charge of the match was Australian Chris Beath, a native of Queensland, who had officiated two previous matches in the tournament; Group A match between Mexico and France and quarter final match between Brazil and Egypt. Beath had two assistant linesmen also from Australia.
Route to the final Round Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result Match 1 Match 2 Match 3 Group D winners Final standingsGroup C winners Opponent Result Knockout stage Opponent Result Quarter-finals Semi-finals
Match details GK 1 Aderbar SantosRB 13Dani Alves (c)CB 15NinoCB 3 Diego CarlosLB 6 Guilherme AranaCM 8 Bruno GuimarãesCM 5 Douglas LuizRW 11Antony AM 20Claudinho LW 9 Matheus CunhaCF 10RicharlisonSubstitutes:GK 12BrennoDF 4 Ricardo GraçaMF 2 Gabriel Menino MF 18Matheus HenriqueMF 19Reinier FW 7 Paulinho FW 17Malcom Head coach:André Jardine GK 1 Unai SimónRB 18Óscar Gil CB 12Eric GarcíaCB 4 Pau TorresLB 3 Marc Cucurella DM 6 Martín Zubimendi CM 8 Mikel Merino (c) CM 16PedriRF 7 Marco Asensio CF 11Mikel Oyarzabal LF 19Dani OlmoSubstitutes:GK 13Álvaro FernándezDF 5 Jesús Vallejo DF 20Juan Miranda MF 14Carlos Soler MF 15Jon Moncayola MF 21Bryan GilFW 9 Rafa Mir Head coach:Luis de la Fuente
Assistant referees: Anton Schetinin (Australia) George Lakrindis (Australia) Fourth official: Artur Soares Dias (Portugal) Reserve assistant referee: Rui Tavares (Portugal) Video assistant referee: Abdulla Al-Marri (Qatar) Assistant video assistant referees: Muhammad Taqi (Singapore) Chris Penso (United States)
Post-match Following the final, Brazil became only the fifth team to retain the Olympic title in men's football, after Great Britain, Uruguay, Hungary, and Argentina. In winning the tournament, Brazil's captain Dani Alves extended his own record of being the most decorated footballer in history with 43 career team honours.
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