7 Big Name Players Who Could Be at the 2020 Summer Olympics

?There is more to the world of sport than just football. That’s why somebody decided to invent the Olympic Games. 

It was a chance to give all those who didn’t have a prayer of making it as a professional to try their hand at something else (we think). Like, say, chucking a rock into a field.

It was an opportunity to cheer on the underdog. The young lad or lass who were being driven to football practice by their parent – despite their mother or father knowing darn well that they couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo – now had a chance to give another sport a crack.

Wait, WHAT? The Olympics came before the first ever football tournament? Ermm….OK. 

Madness.

Well, at least someone saw it fit to instil football into the quadrennial event in 1900. About bloomin’ time.

Fortunately then, when the European Championships come to a halt in mid-July, there will be more footballing fabulousness to whet our appetites. Kicking off 12 days later, people kicking a ball with their feet will be back on our television screens.

And it may include some star names. Here’s who.

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Thomas Muller & Mats Hummels – Germany

A surprise addition to Germany’s preliminary squad is the ?Bayern Munich forward and ?Borussia Dortmund defender. Stefan Kuntz opted to include the pair as two of his older members – with each squad made up of Under-23 stars and three overage players.

They’ve made the cut going into the 50-man squad before it is eventually trimmed down to 22 players, and with both men no longer in international recognition under Joachim Low, could be headed to Tokyo.

Germany’s exciting crop of young stars dusted over with a sprinkling of experience? Sounds like a pretty formidable opponent if you ask me.

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Christian Pulisic – USA

As with many of the big name stars on this list, trying to convince the parent club to let a key player jet off to Japan in the summer is easier said than done. Christian Pulisic is one such man, who the United States would ideally like to bring to the Olympics.

The ?Chelsea player has spoken previously about representing his country in Tokyo, insisting it would be an honour, but whether Frank Lampard would be keen on risking his young forward’s fitness ahead of next season is another matter. A pretty straightforward matter really, because, he won’t.

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Dani Ceballos – Spain

Another player who has expressed his willingness to take part in Tokyo is ?Arsenal’s Dani Ceballos. The on loan ?Real Madrid midfielder is due to return to Spain when his deal in north London expires in the summer, but he still harbours hopes of playing in both Euro 2020 and the Olympics.

That’s a decision that will go down to Madrid or potentially Arsenal, but Ceballos insisted he would be keen on doing both, claiming that he will ‘rest when I’m older’. Top lad.

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Neymar Jr – Brazil

The Olympics is a tournament that ?Neymar is well versed in. Just four years ago, it was his deciding penalty that handed Brazil the Olympic gold medal at the games in Rio de Janeiro, with Barcelona allowing their star man to depart to South America back then.

This time around, PSG are going to be less giving – much less giving – with Neymar due to take part in the Copa America, which could potentially only finish for the Seleção on 12 July. That many matches in one summer? Yeah, it’s understandable why they aren’t too fond of that idea.

Yet, Neymar has never really seen eye-to-eye with his employers, and if something stands in his way, be sure he won’t go down without a fight – even if it’s a winless battle.

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Kylian Mbappe – France

Paris Saint-Germain’s wonderkid. France’s mesmerising talent. A future Ballon d’Or winner. Winner of the 2018 World Cup.

Really, at present, there are precious few footballers in the world who embody the ‘superstar’ tag more than ?Kylian Mbappe. More than just ability alone, he’s become a brand in himself, and is one of the most famous names across the globe. Which is why the chance to play in an Olympic games seems fitting for the 21-year-old forward.

Problem is, PSG aren’t too keen. What’s even more problematic, PSG can do whatever they want. This isn’t a FIFA organised tournament, so they can just sit, arms folded and not budge. 

That’s a spanner in the works, alright.

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Mohamed Salah – Egypt 

The ‘Egyptian King’ was unable to lead his people to victory in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but he may get another chance to lift silverware with his nation when Tokyo comes calling.

“Do I want to lose a player in the pre-season? No. Of course not,” Klopp said when quizzed about Salah’s involvement in Japan. Which, in fairness, is totally understandable.

?Mohamed Salah is a crucial cog in the ?Liverpool machine, and given the amount of football he already plays, it’s natural to want to keep him fresh for 2020/21.

“It’s an Olympic games. I’m a sports person… we have to see how we can deal with it,” was Klopp’s next line of thought, which offers a slightly more encouraging prospect to those who will turn up in their droves to watch Olympic football. Salah for the Olympics? We’d all love to see it.

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For more from Ross Kennerley, follow him on Twitter! 

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