The 2016 Olympic football tournament draw was conducted at the Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 14 2016. (Photo: FIFA.com)
RIO DE JANEIRO -- CONCACAF teams learned their opponents and groups Thursday when the official draw for the 2016 Summer Olympics was held at the Estadio Maracana, which will also be the host of both finals.
The 16 teams in the men’s tournament were drawn into four groups of four teams. The sides were seeded into four pots based on their performances in the five previous Olympics, with recent tournaments weighted higher.
Mexico, the 2012 gold medal winner, and the other five confederation qualifying champions (Japan, Nigeria, Argentina, Fiji and Sweden) were awarded bonus points.
The Mexicans were drawn into Group C will open against Germany on August 4 in Salvador, before facing Fiji (August 7, Salvador) and Korea Republic (August 10, Brasilia).
Honduras, which reached the quarterfinals in 2012, is making its fourth Olympics appearance and will play its first two Group D games at the Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange in Rio against Algeria (August 4) and Portugal (August 7). It will close group play against Argentina (August 10, Brasilia).
The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals on August 13 at four different sites. The semifinals are August 17 in Rio and Sao Paulo. The bronze medal match is August 20 in Belo Horizonte and the gold medal match is August 20 in Rio.
In the 12-team women’s tournament, four-time Olympic champion United States is in Group G with New Zealand (August 3, Belo Horizonte), France (August 6, Belo Horizonte) and Colombia (August 9, Manaus).
Canada, which won bronze in the 2012 Olympic Games, is in Group F with Australia (August 3, Sao Paulo), Zimbabwe (August 6, Sao Paulo) and Germany (August 9, Brasilia).
The top two teams in each group and the two best third-place finishers advance to the quarterfinals on August 12 at four different locations. The semifinals are in Rio and Belo Horizonte on August 16, while the bronze medal match is August 19 in Sao Paulo and the gold medal match will be August 19 in Rio.
Men's Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016
Group A: Brazil, South Africa, Iraq, Denmark
Group B: Sweden, Colombia, Nigeria, Japan
Group C: Fiji, Korea Republic, Mexico, Germany
Group D: Honduras, Algeria, Portugal, Argentina
Women's Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016
Group E: Brazil, China, Sweden, South Africa
Group F: Canada, Australia, Zimbabwe, Germany
Group G: USA, New Zealand, France, Colombia
