The soccer tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics is up and running. Over the coming weeks, U23 stars and the chosen over-aged veterans will try to make their mark at the Games, try to guide their teams to the top step.
There are many ways to be impactful, of course. However, the most outstanding one is to score as many goals as possible throughout the competition.
Below, we will meet the five players who made their mark in the most definitive way in the last 20 years at the Olympic games. Continue reading to check out the five top scorers at the Olympics from the last five tournaments.
#5 Carlos Tevez (Argentina) — Olympics 2004: 8 Goals
Argentina legend Carlos Tevez scored eight goals at the 2004 Olympics — more than anyone has managed in the last 10 tournaments (1984–2020). Tevez scored in five of the six matches at the Games that year, with only Group C rivals Australia managing to neutralize him.
Tevez was at his sublime best in the quarter-finals, scoring a hat-trick to take La Albiceleste to a 4-0 victory over Costa Rica. However, his most important performance came in the final against Paraguay. His goal ensured a 1-0 victory for Argentina in the gold medal match.
#4 Giuseppe Rossi (Italy) — Olympics 2008: 4 Goals
Former Italy international Guiseppe Rossi was the tournament’s most prolific player in the 2008 Olympic Games. He played four matches for the Azzurri, scoring four goals.
Rossi delivered his best performance in the quarter-final clash against Belgium. He scored a brace against the Belgian Red Devils, giving Italy a shot at winning the game. The Azzurri, however, failed to capitalize and exited the competition after suffering a 3-2 defeat.
#3 Leandro Damiao (Brazil) — Olympics 2012: 6 Goals
The standout goalscorer of the 2012 Olympics, Leandro Damiao, scored six goals for Brazil in five appearances. His performances helped the Selecao reach the final, but they failed to take the final step, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Mexico.
Damiao scored in each of the four matches (he played in) leading up to the final. His performances in the knockout rounds were commendable, as he scored consecutive braces against Honduras (3-2 win) and South Korea (3-0 win) in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.
#2 Nils Petersen (Germany) — Olympics 2016: 6 Goals
Nils Petersen could not make an impact for Germany’s senior team, playing only two games and failing to score. However, he is a legend of the German Olympic team, having emerged as the top scorer in the 2016 Olympics, scoring six times in as many matches.
Interestingly, five of Petersen’s goals came in just one match, with him delivering a once-in-a-lifetime performance to take Germany to a 10-0 victory over Fiji in a Group C clash. His other goal came in the 2-0 win over Nigeria in the semi-final.
Germany unfortunately could not get the gold at the end of their journey, losing 6-5 to Brazil on penalties.
#1 Richarlison (Brazil) — Olympics 2020: 5 Goals
Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison finished as the top score at the 2020 Olympic Games. The prolific center-forward scored five goals and provided an assist in six matches to take the Selecao to the gold medal.
Richarlison opened the tournament in the most emphatic fashion, scoring a hat-trick to take Brazil to a 4-2 victory over Germany. He added two more goals to his tally in the 3-1 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final match of Group D. He also set up Matheus Cunha for Brazil’s 1-0 win over Egypt in the quarter-finals.
Brazil met Spain in the gold medal match and came away with a 2-1 victory after 120 minutes.
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