The Olympic Games

Updated August 28, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Held every four years since 1896, except during World War I (1916) and World War II (1940-44). Soccer was not a medal sport in 1896 at Athens or in 1932 at Los Angeles. By agreement between FIFA and the IOC, Olympic soccer competition is currently limited to players 23 years old and under with a few exceptions.

Multiple winners: England and Hungary (3); Soviet Union and Uruguay (2).

Men

Year
1900 England, France, Belgium
1904 Canada, USA I, USA II
1906 Denmark, Smyrna (Int'l entry), Greece
1908 England, Denmark, Netherlands
1912 England, Denmark, Netherlands
1920 Belgium, Spain, Netherlands
1924 Uruguay, Switzerland, Sweden
1928 Uruguay, Argentina, Italy
1936 Italy, Austria, Norway
1948 Sweden, Yugoslavia, Denmark
1952 Hungary, Yugoslavia, Sweden
1956 Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria
1960 Yugoslavia, Denmark, Hungary
1964 Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Germany
1968 Hungary, Bulgaria, Japan
1972 Poland, Hungary, East Germany & Soviet Union
1976 East Germany, Poland, Soviet Union
1980 Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Soviet Union
1984 France, Brazil, Yugoslavia
1988 Soviet Union, Brazil, West Germany
1992 Spain, Poland, Ghana
1996Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil
2000Cameroon, Spain, Chile
2004 Argentina, Paraguay, Italy
2008 (at Beijing, China)

Women

Multiple winners: United States (2).

Year
1996USA, China, Norway
2000Norway, USA, Germany
2004 USA, Brazil, Germany
2008 (at Beijing, China)

The Under-20 World Cup

Held every two years since 1977. Officially, the World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup.

Multiple winners: Argentina (4); Brazil (4); Portugal (2).

Year
1977 Soviet Union
1979 Argentina
1981 West Germany
1983 Brazil
1985 Brazil
1987 Yugoslavia
1989 Portugal
1991 Portugal
1993 Brazil
1995 Argentina
1997Argentina
1999Spain
2001Argentina
2003 Brazil

The Under-17 World Cup

Held every two years since 1985. Officially, the U-17 World Championship for the FIFA/JVC Cup.

Multiple winners: Brazil (3); Ghana and Nigeria (2).

Year
1985 Nigeria
1987 Soviet Union
1989 Saudi Arabia
1991 Ghana
1993 Nigeria
1995 Ghana
1997Brazil
1999Brazil
2001France
2003 Brazil

Indoor World Championship

First held in 1989. FIFA's only Five-a-Side tournament.

Multiple winner: Brazil (3).

Year
1989 Brazil
1992 Brazil
1996 Brazil
2000Spain
2004 (at Chinese Taipei)

Women's World Cup

First held in 1991. Officially, the FIFA Women's World Championship.

Multiple winner: United States (2).

Year
1991 United States
1995 Norway
1999United States
2003Germany

Confederations Cup

First held in 1992. Contested by the Continental champions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America and originally called the Intercontinental Championship for the King Fahd Cup until it was redubbed the FIFA/Confederations Cup for the King Fahd Trophy in 1997.

Year
1992 Argentina
1995 Denmark
1997Brazil
1999Mexico
2001France
2003France

The World CupThrough The YearsContinental Competition
Soccer Through the Years
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