Age limit for men footballers at Tokyo Olympics extended
Players eligible for the intended under-23 tournament in 2020 can still play in Japan at age 24 next year
Geneva: FIFA has extended the age limit for the men's soccer tournament at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The amended Olympic rule on Friday retains the "players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997" standard for the Tokyo Games following a one-year postponement agreed last week by the International Olympic Committee and Japanese authorities.
It means players eligible for the intended under-23 tournament in 2020 can still play in Japan at age 24 next year. Men's soccer kicks off ahead of the July 23, 2021 opening ceremony in Tokyo.
FIFA also postponed two women's age-group World Cups due this year in Central America and India, and confirmed no international games for men and women will be played in the early June dates protected for national team call-ups.