Is Lamine Yamal playing at the Olympics? Latest on Spain and Barcelona star's availability for 2024 Paris Games

Joe Wright

Is Lamine Yamal playing at the Olympics? Latest on Spain and Barcelona star's availability for 2024 Paris Games image

Lamine Yamal was one of the stars of Euro 2024 as Spain became champions of Europe for a record fourth time.

The Barcelona winger, who assisted Nico Williams' opening goal in the 2-1 final victory over England, was named the Young Player of the Tournament for his outstanding displays in Germany.

Spain will now be hoping for a double success this summer in men's football. They are competing at the Olympics in Paris and will be bidding to win gold for the first time since their home Games in Barcelona in 1992, when Pep Guardiola was among the players in the squad.

Lamine Yamal is eligible for Spain given his age, but will he be taking part in event?

MORE: The story behind the viral photo of Lionel Messi and baby Lamine Yamal

Is Lamine Yamal playing at the Olympics?

Lamine Yamal will not be playing at the 2024 Olympic Games after being left out of the Spain squad.

While the Barcelona teenager would have been eligible as a player under the age of 23, his participation at Euro 2024 made it highly unlikely his club would then sanction his release for the Olympics, especially with their preseason plans now under way.

Lamine Yamal's Barca teammates Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, and Fermin Lopez — who was also at Euro 2024, but played less football than the winger — are all representing Spain in Paris and around France.

Lamine Yamal
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

How are Olympic squads selected?

Rules on how Olympic football squads are selected feature a crucial rule on overage players, with each qualified nation allowed to name three players aged over 23 in their squad.

That restriction does not apply to women's squads for Olympic competition.

However, head coaches can face club-versus-country battles as football at the Olympics does not feature on the FIFA international match calendar and clubs are not required to release players if they do not wish to.

Spain's Olympic squad

Spain coach Santi Denia named a provisional 22-man training squad for the Paris Games, which was reduced to 18. The original list is below.

Ages correct as of July 19

NamePositionAgeClub
Joan GarciaGK23Espanyol
Alejandro IturbeGK20Atletico Madrid
Arnau TenasGK23PSG
Pau CubarsiDEF17Barcelona
Eric GarciaDEF23Barcelona
Miguel GutierrezDEF22Girona
Sergio GomezDEF23Real Sociedad
Cristhian MosqueraDEF20Valencia
Juan MirandaDEF24Real Betis
Jon PachecoDEF23Real Sociedad
Marc PubillDEF21Almeria
Juanlu SanchezDEF20Sevilla
Alex BaenaMID22Villarreal
Pablo BarriosMID21Atletico Madrid
Fermin LopezMID21Barcelona
Aimar OrozMID22Osasuna
Adrian BernabeFWD23Parma
Sergio CamelloFWD23Rayo Vallecano
Diego LopezFWD22Valencia
Samu OmorodionFWD20Alaves
Abel RuizFWD24Braga
Benat TurrientesFWD22Real Sociedad

*Players in BOLD are Spain's overage picks

Spain's Olympic record

Spain won gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 with a team that featured Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Santiago Canizares. They have also been silver medallists three times.

YearHostFrance Result
1900Paris, FranceDNE
1904St. Louis, United StatesDNE
1908London, United KingdomDNE
1912Stockholm, SwedenDNE
1920Antwerp, BelgiumSilver medallists
1924Paris, FranceFirst Round
1928Amsterdam, NetherlandsQuarterfinal
1936Berlin, GermanyWithdrew
1948London, United KingdomDNQ
1952Helsinki, FinlandDNQ
1956Melbourne, AustraliaDNQ
1960Rome, ItalyDNQ
1964Tokyo, JapanDNQ
1968Mexico City, MexicoQuarterfinal
1972Munich, West GermanyDNQ
1976Montreal, CanadaGroup Stage
1980Moscow, Soviet UnionGroup Stage
1984Los Angeles, United StatesDNQ
1988Seoul, South KoreaDNQ
1992Barcelona, SpainGold medallists
1996Atlanta, United StatesQuarterfinal
2000Sydney, AustraliaSilver medallists
2004Athens, GreeceDNQ
2008Beijing, ChinaDNQ
2012London, United KingdomGroup Stage
2016Rio de Janeiro, BrazilDNQ
2020Tokyo, JapanSilver medallists

*DNE indicates Did Not Enter and DNQ indicates Did Not Qualify

Olympic football champions

Below is the complete list of Olympic medallists in the men's soccer tournament.

YearHostGold Silver Bronze 
1900Paris, FranceGreat BritainFranceBelgium
1904St. Louis, United StatesCanadaUnited StatesNone awarded
1908London, United KingdomGreat BritainDenmarkNetherlands
1912Stockholm, SwedenGreat BritainDenmarkNetherlands
1920Antwerp, BelgiumBelgiumSpainNetherlands
1924Paris, FranceUruguaySwitzerlandSweden
1928Amsterdam, NetherlandsUruguayArgentinaItaly
1936Berlin, GermanyItalyAustriaNorway
1948London, United KingdomSwedenYugoslaviaDenmark
1952Helsinki, FinlandHungaryYugoslaviaSweden
1956Melbourne, AustraliaSoviet UnionYugoslaviaBulgaria
1960Rome, ItalySoviet UnionYugoslaviaDenmark
1964Tokyo, JapanHungaryCzechoslovakiaEast Germany
1968Mexico City, MexicoHungaryBulgariaJapan
1972Munich, West GermanyPolandHungarySoviet Union
1976Montreal, CanadaEast GermanyPolandSoviet Union
1980Moscow, Soviet UnionCzechoslovakiaEast GermanySoviet Union
1984Los Angeles, United StatesFranceBrazilYugoslavia
1988Seoul, South KoreaSoviet UnionBrazilWest Germany
1992Barcelona, SpainSpainPolandGhana
1996Atlanta, United StatesNigeriaArgentinaBrazil
2000Sydney, AustraliaCameroonSpainChile
2004Athens, GreeceArgentinaParaguayItaly
2008Beijing, ChinaArgentinaNigeriaBrazil
2012London, United KingdomMexicoBrazilSouth Korea
2016Rio de Janeiro, BrazilBrazilGermanyNigeria
2020Tokyo, JapanBrazilSpainMexico

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.