Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics
At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, an official football tournament between national representative selections was contested for the first time; football had been played between club teams at the Games of 1900 and 1904.
The "Challenge Cup", awarded to the winning team | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Great Britain |
| City | London |
| Dates | 19–24 October 1908 |
| Teams | 6 |
| Venue(s) | White City Stadium |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Great Britain (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Denmark |
| Third place | Netherlands |
| Fourth place | Sweden |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 6 |
| Goals scored | 48 (8 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Sophus Nielsen (11 goals) |
There were eight entries, including two from France (the main team and a B team). Hungary and Bohemia both withdrew after the draw and appointment of referees, leaving six teams to contest the tournament.
Great Britain won the gold medal representing the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Ireland), although all the players were from England.
Sophus "Krølben" Nielsen of Denmark set a record by scoring 10 goals in a 17–1 win over France A. The famous mathematician Harald Bohr, brother of the even more famous Niels Bohr, also played for Denmark, who won the silver medal.