Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics

Football was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp, Belgium. It was the fifth time association football was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament expanded to 15 countries, including a non-European nation (Egypt) for the first time.^[1]

1920 Men's Olympic Football Tournament

Tournament details
Host country	Belgium
Dates	28 August – 5 September 1920
Teams	15 (from 2 confederations)
Venue(s)	4 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Belgium (1st title)
Runners-up	Spain
Third place	Netherlands
Fourth place	Italy
Tournament statistics
Matches played	17
Goals scored	70 (4.12 per match)
Attendance	150,600 (8,859 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Herbert Carlsson (7 goals)
← 1912 1924 →

As these were the first Olympics after World War I, the football teams representing the Central Powers were not invited (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey). The English Football Association had also withdrawn from FIFA, together with the associations of the other UK Home Nations (Scotland, Ireland and Wales), after their demands that the federations of Germany, Austria and Hungary be expelled from that organisation were rejected: FIFA nevertheless accepted the entry of a team from Great Britain (representing the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland), ruling that countries entering the Olympic Games in other sports should not be excluded from the football tournament.^[2]

Britain had won the 1908 and 1912 gold medals, but were beaten by Norway 3–1 in the first round: the Norway national football team thus celebrated one of their iconic victories, alongside the elimination of Nazi Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the 1993 win over England in World Cup qualifying, and the 2–1 defeat of reigning world champions Brazil at the 1998 World Cup.

Hosts Belgium won the gold medal, with the final being abandoned in the 39th minute with Belgium leading 2–0 after Czechoslovakia – who participated in an international competition for the first time – walked off to protest the officiating: the Czechslovaks were subsequently ejected from the competition, and were not awarded the silver medal they would have been entitled to if they went on to lose the final.^[1]

As a result of Czechoslovakia's ejection and Belgium having received a first-round bye, the beaten quarter-finalists (Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden) faced each other to determine who would play the Netherlands (who were beaten in their semifinal by Belgium), who were now assured of a medal.

The tournament ended with Belgium winning the gold medal, with Spain winning the silver and the Netherlands winning the bronze.^[3][4][2]

Venues

Antwerp	Olympisch Stadion Stadion Broodstraat Jules Ottenstadion Stade Joseph Marien		Antwerp
Olympisch Stadion			Stadion Broodstraat
Capacity: 35,000			Capacity: Not known
Ghent			Brussels
Jules Ottenstadion			Stade Joseph Marien
Capacity: Not known			Capacity: Not known

Squads

Main article: Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads

Tournament

15 teams entered the competition, which was organized on a knockout basis, but Switzerland withdrew on the morning before the first round due to internal dissent: their opponent, France, was awarded a 2–0 victory.

As such, 12 teams entered the first round, with the winners joining France and hosts Belgium, who had a first-round bye, in the quarter-finals.

Norway defeated Great Britain in the first round, considered by Elo as one of the greatest football upsets of all time.^[5]

Czechoslovakia, participating in their first international tournament, made it to the final, beating Kingdom of SCS (who also played their first ever international match in the competition), Norway, and France, while Belgium, after their first-round bye, beat Spain and the Netherlands to qualify for the final.

The final was abandoned in the 39th minute and Belgium were awarded the gold medal after Czechoslovakia walked off to protest the officiating of the English referee, John Lewis, and his linesmen.^[6]

A form of the Bergvall System^[7] was used to determine the silver and bronze medals: firstly, the beaten quarter-finalists played off, and Spain emerged triumphant, overcoming Sweden 2–1 and Italy 2–0.

Under the original format, Spain would have played off against the teams beaten in the main tournament by gold medalists Belgium, with the winners of these matches playing off for silver and bronze medals. However, Czechoslovakia had been ejected from the competition, and Belgium had received a first-round bye: therefore, the semi-finals were scratched, and Spain advanced to the silver and bronze medal match against the Netherlands, who had been beaten by Belgium in their semi-final. Spain won the match 3–1.

Exhibition match

This match was not part of the tournament, but was organized after both teams were eliminated. Some sources erroneously refer to this as an eighth-place match or as part of the silver and bronze medal tournament.

Egypt	4–2	Kingdom of SCS
Abaza 43', ??' Allouba ??' Hegazi ??'	Report	Dubravčić ??' Ružić ??'

3 September 1920

10:00

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 500

Referee: Raphael van Praag (NED)

Results

Original bracket

	First round				Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
					Belgium	3
					Spain	1
	Spain	1
	Denmark	0
									Belgium	3
									Netherlands	0
	Sweden	9
	Greece	0
					Sweden	4
					Netherlands (a.e.t.)	5
	Luxembourg	0
	Netherlands	3
													Belgium	2
													Czechoslovakia	0
	France	2
	Switzerland	0
					France	3
					Italy	1
	Italy	2
	Egypt	1
									France	1
									Czechoslovakia	4
	Czechoslovakia	7
	Kingdom of SCS	0
					Czechoslovakia	4
					Norway	0
	Great Britain	1
	Norway	3

First round

Czechoslovakia	7–0	Kingdom of SCS
Vanik 20', 46', 79' Janda 34', 50', 75' Sedláček 43'	Report

28 August 1920

10:00

Stadion Broodstraat, Antwerp

Attendance: 600

Referee: Raphael van Praag (BEL)

---

Spain	1–0	Denmark
Arabolaza 54'	Report

28 August 1920

15:30

La Butte, Brussels

Attendance: 3,000

Referee: Willem Eymers (NED)

---

Italy	2–1	Egypt
Baloncieri 25' Brezzi 57'	Report	Osman 30'

28 August 1920

10:00

Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent

Attendance: 2,000

Referee: Paul Putz (BEL)

---

Norway	3–1	Great Britain
Gundersen 13', 51' Wilhelms 63'	Report	Nicholas 25'

28 August 1920

15:30

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)

---

Netherlands	3–0	Luxembourg
J. Bulder 30' Groosjohan 47', 85'	Report

28 August 1920

17:30

La Butte, Brussels

Attendance: 3,000

Referee: Georges Hubrecht (BEL)

---

France	2–0 Awarded	Switzerland

28 August 1920

---

Sweden	9–0	Greece
Olsson 4', 79' Karlsson 15', 20', 21', 51', 85' Wicksell 25' Dahl 31'	Report

28 August 1920

17:30

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Charles Barette (BEL)

Bye: Belgium 

Quarter-finals

Netherlands	5–4 (a.e.t.)	Sweden
Groosjohan 10', 57' J. Bulder 44', 88' (pen.) De Natris 115'	Report	Karlsson 16', 32' Olsson 20' Dahl 72'

29 August 1920

10:00

Stadion Broodstraat, Antwerp

Attendance: 5,000

Referee: Josef Fanta (TCH)

---

Czechoslovakia	4–0	Norway
Vanik 8' Janda 17', 66', 77'	Report

29 August 1920

16:30

La Butte, Brussels

Attendance: 4,000

Referee: Charles Barette (BEL)

---

France	3–1	Italy
Boyer 10' Nicolas 14' Bard 54'	Report	Brezzi 33' (pen.)

29 August 1920

15:00

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 10,000

Referee: Henri Christophe (BEL)

---

Belgium	3–1	Spain
Coppée 11', 52', 55'	Report	Arrate 62' (pen.)

29 August 1920

17:00

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 18,000

Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)

Semi-finals

Czechoslovakia	4–1	France
Mazal 18', 75', 87' Steiner 70'	Report	Boyer 79'

31 August 1920

15:35

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 12,000

Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)

---

Belgium	3–0	Netherlands
Larnoe 46' Van Hege 55' Bragard 85'	Report

31 August 1920

17:25

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 22,000

Referee: John Lewis (GBR)

Gold medal match

Main article: Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Final

Belgian striker Robert Coppée opens the scoring of the final, with a penalty kick against goalkeeper Rudolf Klapka

The final was highly controversial, and is the only time as of 2024 that an international final has been abandoned: Belgium were awarded the gold medal after Czechoslovakia walked off the pitch in the 39th minute with Belgium leading 2–0 to protest the officiating after Czechoslovak left-back Karel Steiner was ejected for assaulting Belgian striker Robert Coppée.

The Czechoslovaks were also deeply dissatisfied with the performance of the 65-year-old English referee, John Lewis, as well as that of the English linesmen, Charles Wreford-Brown and Arthur Knight, who had allowed a contentious second Belgian goal by Henri Larnoe in the 30th minute.

Lewis, Wreford-Brown and Knight had officiated the Belgian semi-final victory over the Netherlands two days earlier, a match observed by the Czechoslovaks (it had taken place on the same day and in the same stadium as their own semi-final victory against France).

The Czechoslovaks immediately protested the result of the final,^{[note 1]} but their protest was dismissed, and the Czechoslovak team was immediately ejected from the competition.

Belgium	2–0 Awarded	Czechoslovakia
Coppée 6' (pen.) Larnoe 30'	Report

1920 Summer Olympics Football Final

2 September 1920

17:30

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 35,000

Referee: John Lewis (GBR)

Silver and bronze medal tournament

Repechage bracket

The original format was based on a form of the Bergvall System: after a knockout tournament between the four teams beaten in the quarter-finals, the winner of that tournament would play off in the semi-finals with the teams beaten in the main tournament by the gold medalists (Belgium), with the winners of these matches playing off for silver and bronze medals.

However, Czechoslovakia had been ejected from the competition, and Belgium had received a first-round bye: therefore, the semi-finals were scratched, and Spain (the winner of the beaten quarter-finalists tournament) advanced to the silver and bronze medal match against the Netherlands (who had been beaten in the semifinals by gold medalists Belgium).

First round

Second round

Silver and bronze medal match

QF

Italy (a.e.t.)

2

SF

Netherlands

1

QF

Norway

1

QF

Italy

0

QF

Spain

3

QF

Spain

2

QF

Spain

2

QF

Sweden

1

First round

Italy	2–1[note 2] (a.e.t.)	Norway
Sardi 46' Badini 123'	Report	Andersen 41'

31 August 1920

10:00

Stadion Broodstraat, Antwerp

Attendance: 500

Referee: Louis Fourgous (France)

---

Spain	2–1	Sweden
Belauste 51' Acedo 53'	Report	Dahl 28'

1 September 1920

12:00

Stadion Broodstraat, Antwerp

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: Giovanni Mauro (Italy)

Second round

Spain	2–0	Italy
Sesúmaga 43', 72'	Report

2 September 1920

12:00

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 10,000

Referee: Paul Putz (Belgium)

Silver and bronze medal match

Spain	3–1	Netherlands
Sesúmaga 7', 35' Pichichi 72'	Report	Groosjohan 68'

5 September 1920

15:00

Olympic Stadium, Antwerp

Attendance: 14,000

Referee: Paul Putz (Belgium)

Final ranking

Final positions:^[2][8]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Result
	Belgium	3	3	0	0	8	1	+7	6
	Spain	5	4	0	1	9	5	+4	8
	Netherlands	4	2	0	2	9	10	−1	4
4	Italy	4	2	0	2	5	7	−2	4	Eliminated in playoffs
5	Sweden	3	1	0	2	14	7	+7	2
6	France	2	1	0	1	4	5	−1	2
7	Norway	3	1	0	2	4	7	−3	2
8	Egypt	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1	0	Eliminated in first round
9	Denmark	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1	0
10	Great Britain	1	0	0	1	1	3	−2	0
11	Luxembourg	1	0	0	1	0	3	−3	0
12	Kingdom of SCS	1	0	0	1	0	7	−7	0
13	Greece	1	0	0	1	0	9	−9	0
DSQ	Czechoslovakia	4	3	0	1	15	3	+12	6	Ejected from competition

Source: FIFA

Medalists

Hosts and tournament winners Belgium before the final

Team of Spain, silver medalist

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Belgium Félix Balyu Désiré Bastin Mathieu Bragard Robert Coppée Jean De Bie André Fierens Emile Hanse Georges Hebdin Louis van Hege Henri Larnoe Joseph Musch Fernand Nisot Armand Swartenbroeks Oscar Verbeeck Coach: Raoul Daufresne	Spain Patricio Arabolaza Mariano Arrate Juan Artola José María Belauste Sabino Bilbao Ramón Eguiazábal Agustín Eizaguirre Ramón Gil Domingo Acedo Silverio Izaguirre Pichichi Luis Otero Francisco Pagazaurtundúa José Samitier Agustín Sancho Félix Sesúmaga Pedro Vallana Joaquín Vázquez Ricardo Zamora Coach: Francisco Bru	Netherlands Arie Bieshaar Leo Bosschart Evert Jan Bulder Jaap Bulder Harry Dénis Jan van Dort Ber Groosjohan Felix von Heijden Frits Kuipers Dick MacNeill Jan de Natris Oscar van Rappard Henk Steeman Ben Verweij Coach: Fred Warburton

Goalscorers

Topscorer Herbert Carlsson

7 goals

• Herbert Carlsson (Sweden)

6 goals

• Antonín Janda (Czechoslovakia)

5 goals

• Ber Groosjohan (Netherlands)

4 goals

• Robert Coppée (Belgium)
• Jan Vanik (Czechoslovakia)
• Félix Sesúmaga (Spain)

3 goals

• Otakar Mazal (Czechoslovakia)
• Jaap Bulder (Netherlands)
• Albin Dahl (Sweden)
• Albert Olsson (Sweden)

2 goals

• Henri Larnoe (Belgium)
• Sayed Abaza (Egypt)
• Jean Boyer (France)
• Guglielmo Brezzi (Italy)
• Einar Gundersen (Norway)

1 goal

• Mathieu Bragard (Belgium)
• Louis Van Hege (Belgium)
• Josef Sedláček (Czechoslovakia)
• Karel Steiner (Czechoslovakia)
• Hassan Allouba (Egypt)
• Hussein Hegazi (Egypt)
• Zaki Osman (Egypt)
• Henri Bard (France)
• Paul Nicolas (France)
• Fred Nicholas (Great Britain)
• Emilio Badini (Italy)
• Adolfo Baloncieri (Italy)
• Enrico Sardi (Italy)
• Jan de Natris (Netherlands)
• Arne Andersen (Norway)
• Einar Wilhelms (Norway)
• Domingo Acedo (Spain)
• Patricio Arabolaza (Spain)
• Mariano Arrate (Spain)
• José María Belauste (Spain)
• Pichichi (Spain)
• Ragnar Wicksell (Sweden)
• Artur Dubravčić (Kingdom of SCS)
• Jovan Ružić (Kingdom of SCS)

Notes

1. Their protests, translated from the original French, were as follows:
   1. We were allocated an English linesman, which is in contradiction with the rules which state that each participating nation has the right to one of both linesman. This violation of the rules was prejudicial to us during the game, because the English linesman was not impartial and this is why we seek the cancellation of the match. Immediately after the game we brought this notice to the attention of M. Rodolphe Seeldrayers.
   2. The majority of the decisions of the referee Mr. Lewis were wrong and it was obvious that it gave the public the wrong impression about our game. Also both Belgian goals were the result of incorrect decisions of the referee and we seek a rigorous investigation on that point.
   3. During the match, Belgian soldiers were introduced to the crowd until they circled the pitch and because of their provocative presence our players were unable to play their normal game. As a result of the very regrettable incident at the end of the match when there was a pitch invasion led by the soldiers and our national flag was insulted we will not participate until we have received an apology from the (Belgian) soldiers.^[7]
2. After 120 minutes expired with the score tied at 1–1, both captains and the referee agreed to play a second extra time of 2x15 minutes, meaning this match lasted 150 minutes.