With the 2024 Olympics drawing to a close, the tournament has showcased several stars of men's under-23 football who have caught the attention of fans and clubs alike. ESPN writers pick out the breakout players who have stepped up their game, detail what makes them so special and why they could be on the move during the summer transfer window.
Standing at 1.98 metres tall, the 22-year-old Richardson has been hard to miss during the Olympics, having dominated midfield competitions for Morocco on their way to a semi-final defeat to Spain. The son of former NBA star Micheal “Sugar” Ray Richardson, who represented the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors, among others, he has excelled in a different sporting discipline, having joined the academy of his hometown club Nice as a youngster. He then broke through at Le Havre in 2021-22, before signing for Stade de Reims in 2022 and making his senior debut for Morocco a year later, despite overtures from the United States.
At the Olympics, beyond his sheer size and presence, Richardson has shown admirable technical ability, the ability to win fouls and recycle possession intelligently, and great pace to outstrip his opponent and change the dynamic of a midfield battle. He is now being linked with a possible move to Tottenham Hotspur, and manager Ange Postecoglou has identified the former France Under-21 midfielder as a worthy 'Plan B' after he appeared to fail to sign Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, who is set to join Atletico Madrid. Ed Paloma
As the battle against France raged on in the Olympic quarter-finals, Juan Pablo Varsky, one of Argentina's leading football journalists, paused to pay tribute to central midfielder Fernandez. “The genuine article,” he said. “Against any opponent and in any context. An exciting footballer.”
Strong on the ball, versatile and with an exceptional left foot, Fernandez has been a remarkable performer in recent years, benefiting from first-team experience from a loan spell at Tigre in 2022. Back at Boca Juniors, he soon established himself as a mainstay of the team, and also as coach Javier Mascherano’s go-to man in the engine room of the Argentina Under-23s, capable of anchoring the midfield as well as setting plays in motion. However, he may lack half a metre of speed to become a genuine world-class player. Portugal seemed the likely destination, but on Monday he signed for Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah. Tim Vickery
OK, he's not exactly a player we're discovering at these Olympics, but he deserves some recognition. Barcelona's attacking midfielder made 42 appearances (scoring 11 goals) last season in all competitions for the Catalans, mostly as a top substitute under his former coach Xavi Hernandez, and was part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2024. However, he has been the shining light of this U23 Olympic team.
In a team with Abel Ruiz, Alex Baena and Pablo Barrios, Fermin has been the most important player for coach Santi Denia. His brace against Japan in the quarter-finals changed the game and he has three goals in the competition. Not long ago, in the 2022-23 season, he was playing in the third division for Linares on loan from Barcelona. Now, his stellar summer with his country will hopefully boost his chances of securing a starting place under new Barcelona manager Hansi Flick. Julien Laurens
In four games, Restes has kept three clean sheets and made some notable saves against Argentina and the United States. At just 19, he is one of the youngest players in this men's Olympic tournament, but he has been a wall, with 12 saves and 0.84 goals prevented.
He has already been a regular in Ligue 1 for two seasons at Toulouse and is the best in his position in his division. He is good on his line, has a strong personality and good leadership to direct his defence. He is also good with the ball with his left foot and has a bright future ahead of him. Restes got a taste of European football last season in the Europa League, after winning the French Cup with his boyhood club, and will stay for another year in the south of France, but after that, there are no limits. Laurens
Much was expected of Adel at the Olympics following his exploits with Egypt during their run to the final of the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in 2023. He has not disappointed. The 23-year-old was Player of the Tournament in Morocco last year, thriving both behind the strikers and in his favoured left-wing role, making good on the promise he showed during his breakout season in 2020-21 when he scored 14 goals for Pyramids FC.
Ahead of the Olympics, there were rumours of interest from Belgium, France, Denmark and elsewhere, and the speculation has only been amplified following his man-of-the-match performance against tournament favourites Spain as the Pharaohs topped Group C. He scored both goals in a 2-1 win, while his 88th-minute header against Paraguay kept the North Africans alive in the quarter-finals.
In the semi-final against France, he displayed, albeit in a botched move, the kind of swagger and verve in possession that one might associate with the great Frenchmen of years gone by. Lyon are just one of a number of big names rumoured to be circling a player who, it is whispered, has even more style and bravado than Mohamed Salah did at the same age. Pigeon
Name an offensive category and Paredes probably led the U.S. in it, or came very close to doing so. He tied for the most goals (two, both against Guinea) and the most assists (one). He easily had the most chances created (11), including four against France. He also had a pair of beautiful crosses that created by far the U.S.’s best scoring chances in that game.
Paredes was second in progressive carries, even though that's typically a defender's stat. He had the most 1-on-1 attempts (11) and drew the most fouls (18). If the U.S. needed to force the issue, it turned to Paredes. He was outstanding, and we'll see if he can use that as a boost to a big year with VfL Wolfsburg, where he was a starter for much of the second half of last season. Bill Connelly
Paraguayan football tradition is built much more on quiet resilience than moments of inspiration, and Gomez was a faithful exponent of that heritage in the team’s Olympic campaign, where only a penalty shootout defeat to Egypt prevented the Paraguayans from reaching the semi-finals. He was a substitute in the team that qualified so well for the Paris Games earlier this year. Coming into the tournament, he was tasked with replacing the injured Fabrizio Peralta, one of the team’s most important members. And he rose to the task quietly but effectively.
Olimpia's Gomez was the team's top ball-winner, covering space, diving into tackles and quickly passing the ball to a better-placed teammate. He also stepped up in the shootout, confidently converting his spot-kick against Egypt. He will probably go unnoticed by the world's top clubs, but he is highly valued by those who play alongside him. Vickery
Tessman, the godson of Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, is built like a soccer safety (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) and brought the same kind of physical presence to the Olympics that he brought to Venezia’s successful 2023-24 Serie B campaign. He was a key reason for Venezia’s promotion, with six goals, three assists and plenty of ball progression, and at the Olympics he led the U.S. in both ball recoveries and progressive passes. He was also an occasional target on corner kicks.
Tessman's play reinforced why some of Italy's biggest clubs are after him – he was long rumoured to be heading to Internazionale before the deal fell through, and is now reportedly being pursued by both AS Roma and Fiorentina. Connelly
