The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will go down in history for achieving the long-awaited parity in participation between men and women. 124 years later, at the Olympic event, both genders are represented by the same number of athletes: 5,520 men and 5,250 women.
Given this, it goes without saying that one of the banners of the current edition of the Olympic Games is equality between men and women. However, such a proclamation could be overshadowed by recent statements by the International Olympic Committee.
According to Sky News, the Olympic governing body said that “increasing the number of women’s football teams would generate applications from other team sports, a reality that would have an even greater impact on the cost, complexity, size and sustainability of the Olympic Games”The statement was made at a press conference held by the IOC.
“Men’s football is an exception”
To understand the context of the question, it is important to remember that while the men’s football tournament is made up of 16 teams, the women’s tournament is made up of 12 teams. According to the aforementioned media, FIFA would have been pushing to equalize both competitions.
And to bring the two tournaments into line, there are two options: eliminating four men’s national teams or adding four to the women’s one. At the same press conference, the IOC acknowledged that “the men’s football tournament is an exception, being the only collective sport made up of 16 teams, based on a long-standing agreement respected by the current IOC leadership.”
However, and according to SKY News, there could be another interpretation why the highest international Olympic body would not be willing to eliminate four men’s teams: the income generated by the men’s tournament from ticket sales. While men’s football was part of the first Olympic Games in 1900 (Paris), it took 96 years for its counterparts to be included: in Atlanta 1996.
Although the IOC’s intention is to equalise sport in all aspects, it is encountering several obstacles along the way and again referred to the economic aspect. “The IOC is committed to keeping the Olympic Games within an established framework, to reduce costs and complexity.” […] As a general rule, if any federation wishes to increase its number of places, the IOC will have to take them from the existing quota allocated for the relevant sport,” he explained.
