The football is back. Consign the Euros and Copa America to memory. At 2pm on Wednesday, as Uzbekistan take on Spain and Argentina face Morocco, football kicks off the Olympics in Paris.
Its drama will only end a week before the Premier League season begins and we are offered a host of intriguing story lines. Major stars from across the men’s and women’s games will feature, with a few big-name coaches thrown in for good measure.
Among them we’ve got a Ballon d’Or winner, World Cup winners, Champions League victors, and many more.
The women’s tournament is a particularly big deal because it is a full senior international event, while the men’s teams are only allowed three players each over the age of 23.
Mail Sport takes you through some of the stars to watch out for.
Olympic football is back with plenty of top stars ready to light up the pitch (pictured: Richarlison celebrating after winning gold with Brazil in 2021)
Julian Alvarez of Argentina wants more success after lifting the World Cup and Copa America
Legendary player Marta, now 38, is aiming for a final glorious hurrah with Brazil
Men’s football
The highlight name in the men’s game will be Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez.
Fresh – or fatigued – from playing a key role in Argentina’s Copa America triumph, the 24-year-old is hoping to become one of the first players to win the World Cup and then Olympic gold, in that order.
Team-mates Nicolas Otamendi – formerly of City himself – Geronimo Rulli, and Thiago Almada would join him in that feat and stand a good chance as tournament favourites.
Perhaps it helps that their head coach has Olympic pedigree. Javier Mascherano is well remembered for his football intelligence at Liverpool and Barcelona but fans might have forgotten that he also won two Olympic golds in his career in 2004 and 2008.
The Argentinians will face stiff competition from the French, who also rank among the favourites for the tournament.
Alexandre Lacazette will be expected to lead the line. Now 33, the former Arsenal hotshot still knows how to find the net. He has 53 goals in his last two seasons with Lyon in his homeland.
Joining him will be Crystal Palace marksman Jean-Philippe Mateta, who managed 13 goals in the final 13 games of the Premier League season, and his ex-team-mate Michael Olise, who has swapped out Selhurst Park for the allure of Bayern Munich.
That attack-heavy quality will be coached by one of the greatest to ever do it – Thierry Henry. The former Arsenal man, who scored 417 goals in his career, is in charge of France’s under-21s as well as their Olympic outfit.
Alvarez and his Argentina team-mates will face Morocco in their opening match on Wednesday
Michael Olise, still uncapped for France in competitive action, is hoping for Olympic glory after leaving Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich
He will be coached by former Arsenal and Barcelona star Thierry Henry in the Paris Games
The other big hitters in Paris are Spain. They’re armed with defender Sergio Gomez, who recently left Manchester City for Real Sociedad, as well as Eric Garcia, who is on Barcelona’s books after kicking of his career at the Etihad.
The Euro 2024 winners will also be able to call on Barcelona’s prodigious 17-year-old defensive talent Pau Cubarsi, Villarreal’s Alex Baena, and Fermin Lopez of Barca among others.
There are 16 teams divided into four groups of four and among the lesser-fancied nations there are still some quality names.
Naby Keita, who left Liverpool last summer after five years under Jurgen Klopp, is the highlight name for Guinea. Nowadays he plays for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, though he was suspended for the last few games of the season for refusing to sit on the bench against Bayer Leverkusen, the club claimed.
Elsewhere, expect to see Mohamed Elneny in the mix for Egypt. He has just left Arsenal and will be focusing his efforts on Elneny FC, his club based in Hertfordshrie which will give a second chance to players released by Premier League clubs. He hopes to take them to the top flight within two decades.
Morocco are taking Achraf Hakimi while Leeds’ Junior Firpo represents the Dominican Republic.
Chelsea’s Gabriel Slonina will be part of the USA’s goalkeeping roster while Boubacar Traore from Wolves is heading along with Mali. And don’t forget Brighton trickster Julio Enciso, who will be dazzling with Paraguay.
Naby Keita, who spent five years with Liverpool, is part of the Guinean contingent in France
Watch out for 17-year-old Spanish talent Pau Cubarsi, who could have a big future ahead of him
Javier Mascherano already has two Olympic golds with Argentina and is now the head coach
Women’s football
Where to begin with the array of women’s talents gracing Paris?
Arguably the greatest female footballer of all time will be there – Marta. The Brazilian forward, 38, will captain her country as she bids farewell to international football.
A six-time FIFA World Player of the year, Marta has turned out for clubs in Brazil, the USA, and Sweden, and is still scoring goals for Orlando Pride.
Someone hoping to challenge her long-term legacy is Aitana Bonmati, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. The Barcelona midfielder has already tasted international glory with Spain, being part of the side that beat England in the 2023 World Cup final.
Spain are a side to be feared in Paris as the likes of Alexia Putellas, Olga Carmona, Ona Batlle, and Jenni Hermoso will link up with her.
They’ll be hoping for a less scandal-ridden tournament this time around compared to the World Cup, where their fantastic achievement was overshadowed by then Spanish FA-president Luis Rubiales when he kissed Hermoso on the mouth without consent.
If you’re seeking a formidable striker to watch, look no further than Barbra Banda.
Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati will be one of many stars featuring for Spain in Paris
Spain’s Jenni Hermoso is hoping to add to her packed trophy cabinet at the age of 34
Banda, 24, became the second-most expensive player in women’s footballer history when she joined Orlando Pride in March for a reported £570,000. She scored two hat-tricks at the last Olympics and no African player has scored more at the Games than her.
Olympic football is often a cradle for young talents and Linda Caicedo, while she needs no cradling, fits the young whizz category. Already tearing it up for Real Madrid, the Colombian forward scored twice at the 2022 Copa America.
Meanwhile, Alexandra Popp will be hoping to add to her 139 caps for Germany – and her 67 goals.
An icon in the women’s game on the continent, she has been German player of the year three times and won the Frauen-Bundesliga five times with Wolfsburg. Oh, and don’t forget three Champions league titles over the course of her career.
France’s all-time top scorer in either the women’s or men’s game will be aiming to enchant home fans. Eugenie Le Sommier has 92 goals for her country and an astounding 13 French league titles and eight Champions League titles with Lyon.
Keep an eye on Barbra Banda after she scored two hat-tricks for Zambia at the last Olympics
Wendie Renard has won a record 14 French league titles as well as eight Champions Leagues
Emma Hayes is taking charge of her first tournament with the USA after leaving Chelsea
Only her team-mate Wendie Renard has won more league titles – the France and Lyon centre-back has 14 to her name.
If you’ve read this far, you might be disappointed to find no Team GB. The Lionesses were heartbroken to find out they had failed to qualify via the Nations League in December despite beating Scotland 6-0.
Should you want your fix of Women’s Super League stars, however, there will be plenty to get behind – particularly with Australia. Arsenal trio Caitlin Foord, Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Kross are all in the Australia camp – three of 10 Super League stars for the Matildas.
And for any nostalgic Chelsea fans, there will be a crumb of comfort in watching Emma Hayes as she manages the United States of America in her first tournament as manager.