According to British media outlet dailystar, Team GB will not be participating in the 2024
Paris Olympics
of the men's soccer tournament. This was not due to eligibility issues, but due to internal reasons why they did not even bother to participate. The decision stemmed from the fear in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that competing as a whole could jeopardize their ability to compete independently in other international tournaments in the future.
Team GB competed in men's soccer at the 2012 London Olympics, the only time they have sent a soccer team to the Olympics in 60 years. However, Team GB has not sent a men's soccer team to the Olympics since then. The Olympics are overseen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which registers countries as a single entity, namely Great Britain, which is different from FIFA or UEFA competitions.
During the preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics, it had been suggested that the formation of another
England men's soccer team
, but the topic was then barely broached as the four Football Associations (including England) failed to agree.
It is worth noting that the English women's soccer team has competed in two of the last three Olympics, but failed to qualify for Paris 2024. England Women, the highest ranked women's team of the four Football Associations, were given the opportunity to play in the Olympics through the inaugural Women's EHF but failed to ultimately qualify.
The decision highlights the complex relationship between the BSAs and the importance they place on their separate identities, even though it means they will be absent from men's soccer at one of the world's biggest sporting events.
