 | |||
| Nickname | Team GB | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | The Football Association (since 1907) | ||
| Mostcaps | Jim Lewis Mike Pinner (11)[1] | ||
| Top scorer | Will Campbell (10)[1] | ||
| FIFA code | GBR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Great Britain 12–1Sweden  (London, Great Britain; 20 October 1908) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Great Britain 12–1Sweden (London, Great Britain; 20 October 1908) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Bulgaria 6–1Great Britain(Melbourne, Australia; 30 November 1956)  Bulgaria 5–0Great Britain(Sofia, Bulgaria; 5 May 1971) | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Appearances | 8[2] (first in1900) | ||
| Best result | Gold:1900,[2]1908,[2]1912[2] | ||
TheGreat Britain Olympic football team is the men'sfootball team that represents theUnited Kingdom at theSummer Olympic Games (where it competed asGreat Britain, brandedTeam GB). The team is organised by theFootball Association as the men's footballing representative of theBritish Olympic Association. The team only competes in the Olympic Games. In otherinternational football tournaments, theHome Nations of the United Kingdom are represented by their own national teams, a situation which pre-dated the establishment of a GB team.
The team first competed at the FA organised tournament for the1908 Olympics held in London, which was the first games that featured representative teams using players selected nationally (prior games in1900 and1904 used club teams). This team and the two that followed in1912 and1920 featured only Englishamateur players, and is seen by some as merely an extension of theEnglish amateur team, set up in 1906 in response to the rise of the professional game.[3] In this period the team won the gold medal at the 1908 and 1912 tournaments, although exited at Round 1 in 1920. A dispute between the FA and FIFA over the inclusion of professionals saw the FA withdraw from Olympic football in1924 and1928, and saw no football at the Olympics at all in 1932.[1]
After the creation of theFIFA World Cup, it was agreed that Olympic football would become exclusively amateur,[4] leading to the team competing again in the1936 Games, this time incorporating players from other Home Nations. After the break caused by World War II, the team then competed in every games from1948 until1972, albeit failing to qualify for the main tournament after1960.[1] In this period the team's best performance was fourth place in 1948 at the second Games hosted in London, under managerMatt Busby.[1]
After the FA abolished the distinction between amateur and professional players in 1974, it stopped entering a team.[3] By the1992 Games teams could use professionals, but were restricted to players under 23 years old, with only three over-age players allowed per squad.[4] Despite this change, Great Britain did not enter a football team again until London won the right to host the2012 Games.[5][6] The FA organised the team, withStuart Pearce appointed manager.[7]
AGreat Britain women's team also competed at the 2012 and2020 Games, following the introduction of women's football to the Games in1996.
The FA was formed in London 1863, when thirteen teams met to draw up a sharedrule list for football, in order to facilitate matches between clubs.[8] The question of the geographical remit of this organisation does not appear to have been asked, with the FA being formed before the rise of international football. Thefirst football matches between national teams were arranged by the FA, who invited English and Scottish players to form representative teams.[8] The Scottish teams were made up almost entirely of Scottish residents in England and in order to encourage more Scottish based players to compete, an organisation in Scotland was sought to form the Scottish team.[8] For the1872 game between Scotland and England in Glasgow,Queen's Park Football Club took on this role, and this game is now recognised as the first international match.[9] Within a year, theScottish Football Association (SFA) was founded to facilitate these matches, and to organise football in Scotland more broadly. The third national football association, theFootball Association of Wales was founded in 1876 and a fourth, theIrish Football Association, (IFA), was founded in 1880.
The practice of playing internationals between the fourcountries of the United Kingdom (also known as thehome nations) was thus developed before football associations were developed elsewhere in the world and, no 'United Kingdom football association' was ever formed.[1] Outside of the UK, the first national associations were formed in 1889 (inDenmark and theNetherlands),[1] and these also began to pick their own national teams. When football was included at the1900 Olympics, however, many nations were still struggling to raise a team,[1] and so club teams entered instead.Upton Park represented the UK, winning the gold medal.[3]
For the1908 Olympic Games inLondon, the FA persuaded the IOC to include an official football tournament, which they organised.[3] A team, made up entirely of English players, was entered.[10] Some sources continue to refer to this team as theEngland national amateur football team,[3] whilst others still simply label all participations asGreat Britain.[11] Although the team competed as the United Kingdom and are listed as such, the official match report refers to "the English team".[12] The Scottish Football Association passed a resolution to "protest against one National body in the British Isles being termed the United Kingdom, or playing as such without the consent of the other three National Associations". The resolution was read at the next meeting of theInternational Football Association Board. In response, "[t]he Football Association representatives explained that this was the name given by the authorities, and that so far as the Football Association was concerned they had nothing to do with the matter. The Scottish Association were satisfied with this answer."[13]
At the 1908 Olympics, "Great Britain and Ireland" won all three of their matches, defeatingSweden andNetherlands in the first two rounds. They metDenmark in the final, defeating them 2–0 with goals fromVivian Woodward andFrederick Chapman.[14]
The team repeated this success at the1912 Games.[15][16] Again, Britain won all three matches and defeated Denmark in the final, this time 4–2. Woodward, who scored in the previous final, was captain for this tournament.[17]
At the1920 Summer Games, Britain lost in the first round in a surprise defeat toNorway.[18] Britain had played onlyamateur players, while other nations selected their team from all available players.[19] The tournament formed part of a rift which developed between the FA, who wanted the Olympics to remain an amateur only competition, and FIFA, who were keen on having a full football world championship.[20] This resulted in the FA leaving FIFA, as well as withdrawing from the1924 and1928 football tournaments.[21] Eventually, however, an agreement was reached in which the Olympic football tournament would be for amateur players only, with theFIFA World Cup created to include all players, professional and amateur.[21]
There was no football tournament at the1932 games, so Britain's return to Olympic football came at the1936 Summer Olympics. Great Britain were defeated in the quarter-finals, losing 5–4 toPoland.[22]
Following theSecond World War, Great Britain competed in all Olympic football tournaments from1948 through to1972. The1948 tournament, which was hosted inLondon, was the team's most successful. By this time, it was recognised that Britain's amateur players were not of the same quality as they had been in earlier years, due to the rise of the professional game.[23] By contrast, teams in nations which had not yet developed professional leagues were able to field their strongest sides.[23] ManagerMatt Busby trained a squad made up of players from all of the 'home nations',[23] and Britain progressed to the semi-final with wins overthe Netherlands andFrance. Having lost the semi-final toYugoslavia, Britain once again faced Denmark. This time, however, they were defeated 5–3 and missed out on a bronze medal.[24]Wembley Stadium hosted Great Britain's final two matches, though they also played atCraven Cottage andHighbury.
After 1948, Great Britain were never a significant threat at the Olympics again. They were eliminated after losing their opening match toLuxembourg in1952,[1] and qualified for the1956 only after other teams withdrew, before being beaten byBulgaria in the quarter-finals.[1] Their final appearance at an Olympic Games came in1960.[25] The squad was again selected from all of the home nations, with matches between the national amateur sides being used to choose a best 19.[25] Great Britain were eliminated in the first round, losing one, drawing one and winning one of their three matches.[25] After that Great Britain failed to qualify for the next three Olympics, with their final match being a 5–0 qualifying round defeat byBulgaria[15] in 1971 following a 1–0 victory atWembley Stadium against the same team.[26]
In 1974, the Football Association stopped recognising a distinction betweenprofessionals andamateurs, with all player subsequently registered simply as 'players', whether paid or unpaid.[27] This ended the existence of theEngland amateur team, which had always been the basis for the British Olympic team. As such, the FA stopped entering a football team into Olympic competition.
For the1984 Summer Olympics, professional footballers were allowed to compete at the Olympics for the first time.[4][28] Initially, European and South American teams were banned from playing players who had competed in theFIFA World Cup, but from the1992 Summer Olympics eligibility for all nations was restricted to players aged under 23, except that three players of any age are allowed in the squad.[4]
Since 1992, theUEFA European Under-21 Championship has acted as the qualifying tournament for the UEFA nations, which each of theHome Nations enter. On four occasions, teams from Great Britain have finished in the qualifying positions:
In March 1996, theScottish National Party proposed that the Scotland U21s should compete in the1996 Olympics football tournament, having finished fourth in the1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[29] Scotland would have qualified for the Summer Olympics football tournament twice in succession, having also finished fourth in the1992 edition. TheScottish Football Association (SFA) opposed the idea of the Scotland team being sent to the Olympics as they would have had to participate as Great Britain, which the SFA considered would have jeopardised the independent status of Scottish national teams.[29]
TheBritish Olympic Association initially refused to rule out the possibility of entry for the2008 Games,[30] England would have qualified for the 2008 Olympics by reaching the semi-finals of the2007 Under–21 Championship, but a team was not entered.[31]Italy took their vacated place by winning a play-off match againstPortugal.[31] TheEngland women's team also qualified for the 2008 Olympics, through their performance in the2007 World Cup, but they were denied a place at the Olympics because the other three Home Nations refused to give their consent.[32]
Due to the success of theLondon 2012 Olympic bid, the United Kingdom gained the right to enter a team in the football tournament as host nation.[5][33] TheBritish Olympic Association (BOA) stated it would enter a football team,[5] but theScottish Football Association (SFA) refused even to attend meetings at which theHome Nations were to discuss the possibility[34] and theFootball Association of Wales (FAW) withdrew from the negotiations.[35] TheIrish Football Association (representing Northern Ireland) stated in October 2007 that they would not take part in a unified team, leavingthe Football Association (England) as the only association willing to take part. The SFA's opposition to the plans were rooted primarily in the fear that the Home Nations would be forced to field a combined team in all competitions.[34] This would mean the loss of the special status of the Home Nations, established under FIFA's constitution.[36]
Various fans, politicians and sports-people all gave their opinions with regards to the creation of a team. A 2005opinion poll published by the BOA claimed that a majority of Scots supported the creation of a British team for the 2012 Olympics.[37] A joint statement issued by the official fan clubs of all four Home Nations voiced their opposition to the plan.[38] Various prominent politicians also offered their opinion as to whether there should be a British team in the 2012 Olympics.Prime MinisterGordon Brown stated during the 2008 Olympics that he wanted a British team and would work towards that happening, although he acknowledged that it could affect the autonomy of the Home Nations.[39]First Minister of ScotlandAlex Salmond then stated his opposition to a British team, arguing that Brown must be "seriously out of touch with Scotland" to support it.[40]
FIFA PresidentSepp Blatter initially assured each of the British Associations that their status would not be affected by fielding a combined team in 2012.[41] The SFA refused to change its position, arguing that Blatter's personal opinion and permission might not matter once he has left office, and that they did not wish to jeopardise their status.[34] Blatter seemed to change his view in March 2008, when he stated that "they should enter only a team composed of players from England"[42] and he suggested that the independent status of the four British associations could be harmed by a unified team.[42]UEFA chief executiveDavid Taylor, a former chief executive of the SFA, said in August 2008 that a British Olympic team would threaten the existence of the individual home nations.[43] Taylor also said that the unique status of the Home Nations had come under attack before from other FIFA members, and that it was "difficult to see what guarantees could be given" to protect that status.[43] At a conference held in conjunction with the2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, the prospect of a UK team for the 2012 Olympics was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee, who gave their approval.[44]
The executive committee confirmed that the participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games of a single team representing Great Britain would not affect the existing individual status of the four British football associations. For the Olympic Games, they have to play in one entity. The ball is now in their turf. We expect a solution that will be presented to us for the month of March.[44]
From the world of sport,world 400 m hurdles championDai Greene said that he felt that there should not be an Olympic football tournament because the Olympics is not the pinnacle of that sport.[45] He also expressed fears that coverage of the football team would overshadow interest in the other competitors.[45]Sebastian Coe, the director of the 2012 Olympics, regularly spoke out in support of the team.[46]
A compromise was eventually reached between the four associations, whereby a squad of English players only would represent the United Kingdom.[6] The football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales sent a joint letter to FIFA stating that they would not participate, but that they would not object to England participating alone.[6] This agreement was challenged by the BOA, who wanted to select players from all four countries and claimed it would be potentially discriminatory to only select English players.[47]Jim Boyce stated that there is no legal restriction on players being selected by the BOA[47] and the SFA admitted that it would have no legal grounds to prevent Scottish players from participating.[48] It was then confirmed that the FA intended to select players from outside England.[7] Eligible non-English players such asGareth Bale andAaron Ramsey expressed their desire to play in the squad, having posed for a photo-shoot wearing thereplica shirts of the team.[49]
The FA announced in October 2011 thatStuart Pearce would be the manager. After this announcement, Pearce drew up an initial long-list of players who he wanted to consider for the squad, and wrote to all of these players to inform them of his choice.[50] Pearce said that players who did not want to be included would be able to inform him of their wishes at that stage.[50] It was stated in December 2011 that none of the players selected for theEngland squad for theUEFA Euro 2012 would be selected, in order to avoid player fatigue.[51] In January 2012, it was revealed that 191 players had been contacted, with 7 declining to be considered for the team.[52] A further cut was announced in April 2012, with the shortlist of eligible players reduced to around 80.[53] The final pre-tournament cut occurred in early June, when a squad of 35 players was submitted to FIFA.[54][55]
Great Britain were placed in group A for the Olympic tournament prior to the draw.[56] The draw was held on 24 April 2012 and addedUruguay,United Arab Emirates andSenegal to Great Britain's group.[57] The final 18-man squad for the Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012.[58] A pre-tournament training camp was held inMarbella,Spain.[59] This included a training match againstMexico, which Mexico won 1–0. All players in the squad played for between 45 and 75 minutes.[59] The team then played one official friendly match, againstBrazil at theRiverside Stadium inMiddlesbrough on 20 July,[60] which was won 2–0 by Brazil.[61]
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Great Britain's first match was a 1–1 draw withSenegal atOld Trafford inManchester on 26 July.Craig Bellamy scored for Great Britain in the first half, butPape Moussa Konaté scored the equaliser for Senegal from acounter-attack in the 82nd minute.[62] Their second match was a 3–1 win against theUnited Arab Emirates atWembley. ARyan Giggs header put Great Britain in the lead, beforeAhmad Ali equalised.Scott Sinclair regained the lead with his first touch of the game after coming on as a substitute, and minutes later, fellow substituteDaniel Sturridge chipped the UAE's goalkeeper to make it 3–1.[62] Sturridge scored again in the 1–0 victory againstUruguay in their final group game.
In theknockout stage, Great Britain playedSouth Korea in the quarterfinal round. The match went to apenalty shoot-out after the score was 1–1, after extra time. Great Britain lost the shoot-out 4–5 after Sturridge missed Britain's fifth attempt, while the Koreans converted all five of their attempts.[63]
During the 2012 tournament some players such asRyan Giggs[64] and some members of the British Olympic Association[65] expressed a desire to enter a football team in future Olympics. After Great Britain's elimination from the 2012 Olympics, there were no public plans to reform the team for future Olympic Games,[66] with Alex Horne, chief-executive of the FA, stating that the FA would not support a future men's football team at the Olympics.[67] The problem facing any possible future Great Britain team is that there is no mechanism for it to qualify, as the individual home nations compete in the qualifying competition.[68]
In 2015, theEngland under-21 coachGareth Southgate and the FA Director of Elite Development Dan Ashworth established as FA policy that the Olympic tournament is a valuable experience for underage players.[69] The FA subsequently advised the other home nations that they intended to enter teams in 2016, if either or both of the England teams met the qualification standard.[69][70] This suggestion was opposed by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations.[69][71]Jim Boyce ofNorthern Ireland, then a vice-president of FIFA, said that he had an assurance that any future Great Britain teams would require the consent of all home nations.[71] The FA then advised the other home nations that they would not enter teams, with the Scottish FA saying that the FA had "underestimated" opposition to the plan.[72]
After Team GB did not enter a team at the 2016 Olympics, British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney expressed his disappointment and said talks would take place to try to field teams for the2020 Tokyo Olympics.[73] British Olympic Association vice-chairman and former sports ministerSir Hugh Robertson further stated: "From the British Olympic Committee's perspective, we would love to see Team GB football", whilst newEngland senior team managerSam Allardyce stated: "To turn it down is a great shame. It's something we may look at in the future and try to compete in."[73] Joint talks between all four of the home nations began in September 2016.[74] FIFA subsequently approved the idea of a Great Britain team for the 2020 games, but opposition from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish FAs continued.[75] FA chief executive Martin Glenn established that previous concerns over the existence of a team were no longer a concern, stating: "The big fear in the past was that if we did it we would jeopardise our independent country status. But that was sorted out under [former FIFA president Sepp] Blatter actually andGianni Infantino has reinforced it."[74] Glenn revealed that "FIFA has indicated that it's not a problem" and that "the issue is the individual interests of each home nation."[74]
An agreement was reached between the four associations for a women's team to be entered in the2020 Summer Olympics, with qualification depending on England's performance in the2019 World Cup, but this did not affect men's football.[76]
Following Tokyo 2020,Sky Sports reported that theBritish Olympic Association had hoped to have a men's team atParis 2024.[77] However, nothing came of this, as no confirmation of Great Britain either competing or not competing, despiteEngland finishing in a qualification spot at the2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[78]
Following the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympics, negotiations restarted for Great Britain to be brought back from hiatus forLos Angeles 2028.[79][80] Contrary to earlier reports, the chief of theFootball Association of WalesNoel Mooney dismissed the notion that talks had begun and stated that even if they had "our focus is very much here on Wales playing at tournament".[81]
The official football organisation officials and some players from Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland were against the move to create a Great Britain football team for theLondon 2012 Olympics.[82] TheFAW did not want their players involved in the GB squad for the London Olympics because they were concerned it could undermine their status as an independent footballing nation.[83] Welsh fans also unfurled a "NO TEAM GB" banner following a 4–1 win over Norway for Wales at theCardiff City Stadium.[83] Aaron Ramsey said via Twitter "'Relax everyone, there is absolutely no way I would play in the Olympic team if it was going to affect Wales' identity as an individual nation!".[84]
Welsh broadcasterElis James said that he "profoundly disagreed at every level" with a GB team. It has been suggested that even an occasional British team "would severely weaken our status as an independent football nation (and Scotland and Northern Ireland’s status as well). Plenty in FIFA resent our position on IFAB, and would like to see us compete as Team GB. This has been brought up since the early 1970s".[85]
Chief football writer forThe Times suggested opposition to a GB team, "Anybody seriously suggesting a GB football team should just go and experience a Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or England game. Or just flick the TV on now and listen to Wales players and fans singing".[85]
Whilst playing for a GB football team, Welsh playersRyan Giggs,Craig Bellamy,Joe Allen andNeil Taylor were criticised for not singing "God save the Queen". The manager of the team said that the Welsh players' decision not to sing the anthem is a personal decision.[86]
The officialkit for the 2012 Olympics, designed byStella McCartney and manufactured byAdidas, was unveiled alongside the uniform for all Team GB Olympic competitors in March.[87] The front of the shirt is modelled on the right-hand side of aUnion Flag, with the colours consisting of white and various shades ofblue in keeping with the design of the uniforms in other sports.[88] The back of the shirt isnavy blue, as are the shorts and socks.[87] The kit has a redtrim.[87] The change kit is pale blue and white, with varying shades displaying the same union flag design as the home kit.[89] The crest is on the left breast of the shirt, and consists of a white shield with the genericTeam GB logo in blue, with the wordsLondon 2012 below it.
The composition of the team has varied over time. All players in the 1908, 1912, 1920 and 1956 squads were English, while in other years players from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales were all included.[1] The 2012 squad contained 13 English and 5 Welsh players but no Scottish or Northern Irish players.[58]Jack Butland, the third choice goalkeeper for England, was the only player selected for both the Olympics and the EnglandEuro 2012 squad.[90]Ryan Giggs,Craig Bellamy andMicah Richards were selected as the three overage players.[91] Former England captainDavid Beckham was shortlisted for the Olympics, but was left out of the final squad.[91]
The Great Britain squad for the 2012 Olympic Games was announced on 2 July 2012, with Ryan Giggs named as captain.[92]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK |  Jack Butland | (1993-03-10)10 March 1993 (aged 19) | 5 | 0 | Birmingham City | ||
| 18 | 1GK | Jason Steele | (1990-08-18)18 August 1990 (aged 21) | 1 | 0 | Middlesbrough | ||
| 2 | 2DF |  Neil Taylor | (1989-02-07)7 February 1989 (aged 23) | 5 | 0 | Swansea City | ||
| 3 | 2DF | Ryan Bertrand | (1989-08-05)5 August 1989 (aged 22) | 4 | 0 | Chelsea | ||
| 5 | 2DF | Steven Caulker | (1991-12-29)29 December 1991 (aged 20) | 5 | 0 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 6 | 2DF | Craig Dawson | (1990-05-06)6 May 1990 (aged 22) | 3 | 0 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| 12 | 2DF | James Tomkins | (1989-03-29)29 March 1989 (aged 23) | 2 | 0 | West Ham United | ||
| 14 | 2DF | Micah Richards* | (1988-06-24)24 June 1988 (aged 24) | 5 | 0 | Manchester City | ||
| 4 | 3MF | Danny Rose | (1990-07-02)2 July 1990 (aged 22) | 4 | 0 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 7 | 3MF | Tom Cleverley | (1989-08-12)12 August 1989 (aged 22) | 5 | 0 | Manchester United | ||
| 8 | 3MF | Joe Allen | (1990-03-14)14 March 1990 (aged 22) | 5 | 0 | Swansea City | ||
| 11 | 3MF | Ryan Giggs*(captain) | (1973-11-29)29 November 1973 (aged 38) | 4 | 1 | Manchester United | ||
| 13 | 3MF | Jack Cork | (1989-06-25)25 June 1989 (aged 23) | 4 | 0 | Southampton | ||
| 15 | 3MF | Aaron Ramsey | (1990-12-26)26 December 1990 (aged 21) | 5 | 1 | Arsenal | ||
| 16 | 3MF | Scott Sinclair | (1989-03-25)25 March 1989 (aged 23) | 4 | 1 | Swansea City | ||
| 9 | 4FW | Daniel Sturridge | (1989-09-01)1 September 1989 (aged 22) | 5 | 2 | Chelsea | ||
| 10 | 4FW | Craig Bellamy* | (1979-07-13)13 July 1979 (aged 33) | 5 | 1 | Liverpool | ||
| 17 | 4FW | Marvin Sordell | (1991-02-17)17 February 1991 (aged 21) | 3 | 0 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
Gold medalists
Silver medalists
Bronze medalists
| Summer Olympics | Qualification | Manager[93] | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |||
| 1900 |  France | Gold medal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Upton Park F.C. represents Great Britain | ||||||||||
| 1904 |  United States | Did not enter | Did not enter | N/a | |||||||||||||||
| 1908 | United Kingdom | Gold medal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | Squad | No qualification phase | Davis | ||||||||
| 1912 | Sweden | Gold medal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | Squad | Birch | |||||||||
| 1920 |  Belgium | First round | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Squad | Latham | |||||||||
| 1924 | France | Did not enter | N/a | ||||||||||||||||
| 1928 |  Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1936 |  Germany | Second round | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | Squad | Voisey | |||||||||
| 1948 | United Kingdom | Fourth place | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 11 | Squad |  Busby | |||||||||
| 1952 |  Finland | Preliminary round | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Squad | Winterbottom | |||||||||
| 1956 |  Australia | Second round | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Squad | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | Creek | ||
| 1960 |  Italy | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | Squad | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 6 | |||
| 1964 |  Japan | Did not qualify | R1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 5 | N/a | |||||||||
| 1968 |  Mexico | FR | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 1972 |  West Germany | R1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||
| 1976 |  Canada | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| 1980 |  Soviet Union | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1984 | United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1988 |  South Korea | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 |  Spain | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 |  Greece | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 |  China | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | United Kingdom | Quarter-finals | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | Pearce | ||||||||
| 2016 |  Brazil | Did not enter | Did not enter | N/a | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | France | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | Gold medal | 23 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 76 | 44 | — | 3/6 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 32 | 23 | ||||
| Great Britain | 2–0 |  Denmark |
|---|---|---|
Chapman 20'Woodward 46' | Report |
This is a full round-up of Great Britain's performances at the Olympic Games.[94][95]
v Sweden| 20 October 19081908 Olympics – R1/QF | Great Britain | 12–1 | Sweden | London,UK |
| Stapley 10' Woodward ?',?'Berry ?'Chapman ?'Purnell ?',?',?',?'Hawkes ?',?' | Report | Bergström 65' | Stadium:White City Stadium Attendance: 2,000 Referee:John Ibbotson (GB) |
v Netherlands| 22 October 19081908 Olympics – SF | Great Britain | 4–0 | Netherlands | London,UK |
| Stapley 37',60',64',75' | Report | Stadium:White City Stadium Attendance: 6,000 Referee:John Howcroft (GB) |
v Denmark| 24 October 19081908 Olympics – Final | Great Britain | 2–0 | Denmark | London,UK |
| Chapman 20' Woodward 65' | Report | Stadium:White City Stadium Attendance: 6,000 Referee:John Lewis (GB) |
v Great Britain| 30 June 19121912 Olympics – R2/QF | Hungary | 0–7 | Great Britain | Stockholm,Sweden |
| Report | Walden 21',23',49',55',85' Woodward 45',53' | Stadium:Olympiastadion Attendance: 8,000 Referee:Christiaan Groothoff (Sweden) |
v Great Britain| 2 July 19121912 Olympics – SF | Finland | 0–4 | Great Britain | Stockholm,Sweden |
| Report | Holopainen 2' (OG) Walden 7',77'Woodward 82' | Stadium:Olympiastadion Attendance: 4,000 Referee:Ruben Gelbord (Sweden) |
v Great Britain| 4 July 19121912 Olympics – Final | Denmark | 2–4 | Great Britain | Stockholm,Sweden |
| Olsen 27',81' | Report | Walden 10' Hoare 22',41'Berry 43' | Stadium:Olympiastadion Attendance: 25,000 Referee:Christiaan Groothoff (Sweden) |
v Great Britain| 28 August 19201920 Olympics – R1 | Norway | 3–1 | Great Britain | Antwerp,Belgium |
| Gundersen 13',51' Wilhelms 63' | Report | Nicholas 25' | Stadium:Olympisch Stadion Attendance: 5,000 Referee:Johannes Mutters (Netherlands) |
v Great Britain| 6 August 19361936 Olympics – R1 | China | 0–2 | Great Britain | Berlin,Nazi Germany |
| Report | Dodds 55' Finch 65' | Stadium:Mommsenstadion Attendance: 8,000 Referee:Helmut Fink (Nazi Germany) |
v Great Britain| 8 August 19361936 Olympics – QF | Poland | 5–4 | Great Britain | Berlin,Nazi Germany |
| Gad 33' Wodarz 43',48',53'Piec 56' | Report | Clements 26' Shearer 71'Joy 78',80' | Stadium:Poststadion Attendance: 6,000 Referee:Rudolf Eklöw (Sweden) |
v Netherlands| 31 July 19481948 Olympics – R1 | Great Britain | 4–3 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands | London,UK |
| McBain 22' Hardisty 58'Kelleher 77'McIlvenny 111' | Report | Appel 9',63' Wilkes 81' | Stadium:Highbury Stadium Attendance: 21,000 Referee:Valdemar Laursen (Denmark) |
v France| 5 August 19481948 Olympics – QF | Great Britain | 1–0 | France | London,UK |
| Hardisty 29' | Report | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 25,000 Referee:Karel van der Meer (Netherlands) |
v
Yugoslavia| 11 August 19481948 Olympics – SF | Great Britain | 1–3 | Yugoslavia | London,UK |
| Donovan 20' | Report | Bobek 19' Wölfl 24'Mitić 48' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 40,000 Referee:Karel van der Meer (Netherlands) |
v Denmark| 13 August 19481948 Olympics –Bronze | Great Britain | 3–5 | Denmark | London,UK |
| Aitken 5' Hardisty 33'Amor 63' | Report | Præst 12',49' Hansen 16',77'Sørensen 41' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 5,000 Referee:Karel van der Meer (Netherlands) |
v Great Britain| 16 July 19521952 Olympics – Prelim | Luxembourg | 5–3 (a.e.t.) | Great Britain | Lahti,Finland |
| Roller 60',95',97' Letsch 91'Gales 102' | Report | Robb 12' Slater 101'Lewis 118' | Stadium:Lahden kisapuisto Attendance: 3,740 Referee:Vincenzo Orlandini (Italy) |
v Great Britain| 23 October 19551956 Olympics – Qualifying | Bulgaria | 2–0 | Great Britain | Sofia,Bulgaria |
| Stefanov 30' Yanev 61' | Report | Stadium:Vasil Levski National Stadium Attendance: 45,000 Referee:Giorgio Bernardi (Italy) |
v Bulgaria| 12 May 19561956 Olympics – Qualifying | Great Britain | 3–3 (3–5agg.) | Bulgaria | London,UK |
| Hardisty 12',62' Lewis 77' (pen.) | Report | Milanov 28' Prince 32' (o.g.)Dimitrov 66' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 30,000 Referee:Giorgio Bernardi (Italy) |
v Great Britain| 26 November 19561956 Olympics – R1 | Thailand | 0–9 | Great Britain | Melbourne,Australia |
| Report | Twissell 12',20' Lewis 21' (pen.)Laybourne 30',82',85'Bromilow 75',78'Topp 90' | Stadium:Olympic Park Stadium Attendance: 3,693 Referee:Nikolay Latyshev (USSR) |
v Great Britain| 30 November 19561956 Olympics – QF | Bulgaria | 6–1 | Great Britain | Melbourne,Australia |
| Dimitrov 6' Kolev 40',85'Milanov 45',75',80' | Report | Lewis 30' | Stadium:Olympic Park Stadium Attendance: 6,748 Referee:Ron Wright (Australia) |
v
Republic of Ireland| 21 November 19591960 Olympics – Qualifying | Great Britain | 3–2 | Republic of Ireland | Hove,UK |
| Devine 1' Hasty 45',80' | Report Report | Aherne Rice | Stadium:Goldstone Ground Attendance: 7,800 Referee:Arthur Blavier (Belgium) |
v Great Britain| 13 March 19601960 Olympics – Qualifying | Republic of Ireland | 1–3 | Great Britain | Dublin,Ireland |
| McGrath ?' | Report Report | Coates ?' Brown ?'Harding ?' | Stadium:Dalymount Park Attendance: 19,000 |
v Great Britain| 2 April 19601960 Olympics – Qualifying | Netherlands | 1–5 | Great Britain | Zwolle,Netherlands |
| Hainje 29' | Report | Lewis ?',?',?' Lindsay 25'Brown 31' | Stadium:Oosterenkstadion or atZAC Attendance: 9,000 |
v Netherlands| 13 April 19601960 Olympics – Qualifying | Great Britain | 2–2 (GB qualify)[99] | Netherlands | London,UK |
| Brown ?' Lewis ?' | Report | De Kleermaeker ?' Bouwman ?' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 3,950 |
v Great Britain| 26 August 19601960 Olympics – Groups | Brazil | 4–3 | Great Britain | Livorno,Italy |
| Gérson 2' China 61', 72'Wanderley 64'[100] | Report Report | Brown 32',87' Lewis 47' | Stadium:Stadio di Ardenza Attendance: 13,590 Referee:Josef Kandlbinder (FR Germany) |
v Great Britain| 29 August 19601960 Olympics – Groups | Italy | 2–2 | Great Britain | Rome,Italy |
| 13:00 | Rossano 11',55' | Report | Brown 23' Hasty 75' | Referee:Lucien van Nuffel (Belgium) |
v Republic of China| 1 September 19601960 Olympics – Groups | Great Britain | 3–2 | Republic of China | Grosseto,Italy |
| 12:00 | Lewis 35' Brown 58'Hasty 85' | Report | Chuk Yin Yiu 70',88' | Stadium:Stadio Olimpico Comunale Referee:Josef Kandlbinder (FR Germany) |
v
Senegal| 26 July 20122012 Olympics – Groups | Great Britain | 1–1 | Senegal | Manchester,UK |
| 20:00 | Bellamy 20' | Report | Konaté 82' | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 72,176[101] Referee:Irmatov (Uzbekistan) |
v
United Arab Emirates| 29 July 20122012 Olympics – Groups | Great Britain | 3–1 | United Arab Emirates | London,UK |
| 19:45 | Giggs 16' Sinclair 73'Sturridge 76' | Report | Eisa 60' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 85,137[102] Referee:García (Mexico) |
v
Uruguay| 1 August 20122012 Olympics – Groups | Great Britain | 1–0 | Uruguay | Cardiff,UK |
| 19:45 | Sturridge 45+1' | Report | Stadium:Millennium Stadium Attendance: 70,438[103] Referee:Nishimura (Japan) |
v South Korea| 4 August 20122012 Olympics – Quarter-finals | Great Britain | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–5p) | South Korea | Cardiff,UK |
| 19:30 | Ramsey 36' (pen.) | Report | Ji Dong-won 29' | Stadium:Millennium Stadium Attendance: 70,171[104] Referee:Roldán (Colombia) |
| Penalties | ||||
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