Olympic men's soccer qualifying has been an under-23 competition since 1992. Beginning in 1996, teams that qualified for the Olympics were allowed to field three players over the age limit.
Canada has taken part in just two of the 24 Olympic men's soccer competitions and has failed to qualify for the last eight Olympics. Its last participation came in 1984 in Los Angeles when CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, was granted three spots instead of two with the U.S. an automatic participant as host.
Canada received an automatic berth as host in 1976 when it failed to survive the round-robin phase.
Canada made it to the final eight of the '84 Games, losing to eventual runner-up Brazil in a penalty shootout. That team went on to make the 1986 World Cup, Canada's only participation at the men's soccer showcase.
Mexico and Honduras represented CONCACAF at the 2016 Games in Rio, with Honduras finishing fourth in the 16-country field. Host Brazil won Olympic gold with Germany runner-up.
Canada did compete at the 1904 Olympics but it was only a three-team tournament with two from the U.S. and a side from Galt (now Cambridge), Ont. The Canadian men won, defeating American opponents Christian Brothers College and St. Rose School by a combined score of 11-0.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2020.
The Canadian Press
