Brazil is the most prosperous country in international soccer. The team has a record of five World Cups and nine Copa America trophies. The men’s team dominates on the field and is world-renowned for its fast play, quick passing, and powerful shots. The Olympic soccer tournament is the second-most prestigious tournament in the world, behind only the World Cup. One would imagine that Brazil has its fair share of Olympic hardware, but the men’s team has only won one gold medal.
Because of travel difficulties, Brazil did not participate in the Olympics until 1952. Since then, they have qualified for most of the Olympics Games odds. The early years of the Brazilian Olympic team were disappointing, but the current generation has seen success.
Let’s look at the history of the Brazilian men’s Olympic soccer teams and the soccer odds of winning gold in the 2020 Olympics.
(1952-1972)
Brazil’s first participation in the Olympics was in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952. The format of the Olympic tournament was a single-elimination tournament, rather than a group stage followed by a knockout stage, that modern soccer tournaments follow. Brazil defeated Luxembourg in the first round 2-1 but lost to Germany 4-2 in extra time.
Brazil did not participate in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. They would participate in the remaining Olympics. The 1960 games in Italy had a group stage, but it was divided into four groups of four. Brazil lost to Italy in the group stage, and that proved to be the difference, as they placed second and were eliminated from the tournament.
1960 would be the best showing Brazil would have in the Olympics for a long time. Between 1964 through 1972, Brazil would be eliminated in the group stage, and a 4-0 victory over South Korea in 1964 would be the only Olympic win for Brazil in the three tournaments.
It is essential to clarify that the Olympic team is different from the team participating in the World Cup. While the senior squad dominated the World Cup, the Olympic soccer team had to be composed of amateur players.
(1976-1988)
After many disappointing showings in the Olympics, Brazil finally had a good showing in the tournament. Brazil won their group in the 1976 Olympics in Canada and advanced to the knockout stage. Israel faced Brazil in the quarter-finals, and Brazil won 4-1 and moved to the Olympic semi-finals for the first time. Despite going the furthest in their Olympic history, Brazil lost Poland in the semi-finals and lost to the Soviet Union in the Bronze medal game.
For the first time, Brazil did not qualify for an Olympics in which they participated. They missed out on the 1980 Olympic Games, hosted by the Soviet Union. They did qualify for the ‘84 Olympics in the U.S., and Brazil could finally get an Olympic medal. In their first knockout stage match, Brazil beat Canada via penalties, then they went into extra time again, as they defeated Italy 2-1 in the semi-finals. The two grueling matches before the finals might have caught up with Brazil, as they lost to France 2-0 and walked away with a silver medal.
The 1988 Summer Olympics took place in South Korea, and Brazil repeated as the silver medalists. Brazil faced three powerhouse countries in the knockout stage, facing Argentina in the quarter-finals. Brazil narrowly emerged victorious 1-0, then faced West Germany in the semi-finals. That match went to penalties, and Brazil won 3-2. The finals went to extra time as Brazil faced the Soviet Union, a Yuri Savichev goal in the 103rd minute proved the difference as the Soviets defeated Brazil 2-1. Romario was the tournament’s top goalscorer with seven goals.
(1992-Present)
The men’s Olympic tournament rules were changed in 1992. Teams went from being composed of amateurs to an under-23 squad. Brazil did not qualify for the 1992 Olympics in Spain, but they did qualify for the 1996 Olympics in the United States. Brazil advanced to the knockout stage and beat Ghana in the quarter-finals 4-2, but they lost to fellow Group D member Nigeria in the semis. Brazil faced Portugal in the bronze medal match, and Brazil won handily 5-0. Ronaldo opened up the scoring in the fourth minute, and Bebeto scored a hat trick.
After winning multiple Olympic medals, Brazil could not build off of that success in the 2000 Olympics in Australia. After winning their group, Brazil lost to Cameroon in the quarter-finals in extra time after a Modeste M’Bami golden goal in the 113th minute. Cameroon went on to win the gold medal.
The Olympics returned home in 2004, taking in Greece, but Brazil did not qualify for the men’s Olympic soccer tournament. Brazil returned to the podium in the 2008 Olympics taking place in China. Brazil could get revenge on Cameroon eight years later, defeating Cameroon 2-0 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Brazil faced Argentina and was shut out in a 3-0 loss. In the bronze medal match, Belgium faced Brazil, and Brazil was on the right side of a 3-0 game as they defeated Belgium and won the bronze medal.
The 2012 Olympics in England saw Brazil win their third silver medal, as they faced Mexico in the gold medal match, but they lost 2-1. In 2016, Brazil was the host of the Olympics, and this tournament was important for Brazil to win, as they suffered a massive disappointment when they hosted the 2014 World Cup. Germany demolished Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, and Brazil could get a modicum of revenge as the two countries faced off in the 2016 gold medal match. Brazil finally secured their first Olympic gold medal as they defeated Germany via a penalty kick shootout. The game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, Brazil converted all of their penalties, and a Nils Petersen miss was the difference as Brazil celebrated the win on home soil.
Brazil has a long and successful history in men’s international soccer, but not so much in the Olympics. Brazil has its fair share of medals, but it is gold or bust with their country’s high expectations, and the men’s national team has only produced one gold medal.
It seems like the Brazilian team has turned the corner and could repeat in the 2020 Olympics. Brazil is the top team to win the gold medal in the olympic sportsbook. In a group with fellow favorites Germany, Ivory Coast, and Saudi Arabia, Brazil should get out of the group and make it to the knockout stage. That said, our soccer expert picks Ivory Coast to pull off a significant upset and give Brazil or Germany an early ticket home.
There is no Neymar on the Brazilian team this year, but it is still a loaded team with young talent that could start on the senior squad for most countries. When looking at the odds to win Olympic Gold in the Men’s Soccer tournament, our soccer picks and parlays would include Brazil.
