Olympic soccer: All-time list of medal winners, who has won the most golds in football?

Joe Wright

Olympic soccer: All-time list of medal winners, who has won the most golds in football? image

The men's and women's football tournaments were among the first events to get going at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The action began on July 24 with Argentina vs. Morocco and Uzbekistan vs. Spain in the men's draw, with a full round of games taking two days before the opening ceremony in the French capital.

Brazil are the reigning men's champions but are not taking part this year, meaning we will see different players on top of the podium. In the women's event, Tokyo gold-medallists Canada are defending their title against main challengers the United States.

Who has won the most gold medals in Olympic football history? Which nations have claimed the most medals in total? All the details are below.

MORE: The full schedule and standings for the 2024 Olympics football tournaments

Who has won the most gold medals in Olympic football?

The most successful teams in men's football at the Olympics are two that are rarely seen in the summer Games these days.

Hungary and Great Britain have each won three gold medals each. Team GB won three of the first four tournaments from 1900 to 1912, while the Hungarians took gold in 1952, 1964, and 1968. Neither nation has medalled in men's football since Hungary claimed silver in 1972.

Reigning men's champions Brazil are one of four sides with two gold medals in their history, the others being Argentina, the Soviet Union, and Uruguay. Brazil's seven medals in total are the most of any nation, but they will not be adding to that haul this time around after failing to qualify for Paris.

In women's football, the United States are the dominant force. They have won four gold medals out of a possible seven since the women's event began in Atlanta in 1996. Germany, Norway, and Canada are the other women's champions.

Who has won the most medals in Olympics football?

In men's football, Brazil have won the most medals, with seven.

Men's Olympic football all-time list of medal winners

NationGold medalsSilver medalsBronze medalsTotal medals
Brazil2317
Hungary3115
Soviet Union2035
Yugoslavia1315
Argentina2204
Spain1304
Denmark0314
Great Britain3003
Poland1203
East Germany1113
Nigeria1113
Italy1023
Sweden1023
Netherlands0033
Uruguay2002
Czechoslovakia1102
France1102
Mexico1012
Belgium1012
USA0112
Bulgaria0112
Canada1001
Cameroon1001
Germany0101
Switzerland0101
Austria0101
Paraguay0101
Japan0011
Norway0011
United Team of Germany0011
West Germany0011
Ghana0011
Chile0011
South Korea0011

For the women, USA's five medals is a record haul.

Women's Olympic football all-time list of medal winners

NationGold medalsSilver medalsBronze medalsTotal medals
USA4116
Germany1034
Canada1023
Norway1012
Brazil0202
Sweden0202
Japan0101
China0101

Olympic football champions by year of Games: Men

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

Olympic football champions by year of Games: Women

YearHostGold Silver Bronze 
1996Atlanta, United StatesUSAChinaNorway
2000Sydney, AustraliaNorwayUSAGermany
2004Athens, GreeceUSABrazilGermany
2008Beijing, ChinaUSABrazilGermany
2012London, United KingdomUSAJapanCanada
2016Rio de Janeiro, BrazilGermanySwedenCanada
2020Tokyo, JapanCanadaSwedenUSA

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.