Marcus Chan
Team GB are reportedly keen on taking part in an event for the first time in 16 years at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was a successful one for Team GB as they brought home 65 medals, including 14 golds, 22 silvers and 29 bronzes.
Overall, they finished seventh – their lowest position since Athens 2004 – but the likes of Keely Hodgkinson, Bryony Page, Toby Roberts and Tom Pidcock managed to clinch gold.
So what about the future? The Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028 and according to reports, Team GB are planning to take part in men’s football for the first time in 16 years.
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The last time Team GB had a men’s football team playing at the Olympics was back in 2012, when London hosted the games.
Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Aaron Ramsey and Micah Richards were all involved as Team GB reached the quarter-final stage of the competition.
Andy Anson, who is the chief executive of the British Olympic Association, opened up on potentially including a team for Los Angeles in 2028.
“It's something I would dearly love to happen," he told the Mirror. "I would like to work with the FA, with the Scottish FA, with the Welsh and the Northern Irish FA, if we can make it happen.
“It would be brilliant for football, for youth football, and football in general. Seeing the women's team compete is brilliant, and I would love to see the men's team compete in the same way.”
The LA Olympics will also see cricket make its return, with Team GB likely to have a team.
Anson said: “In cricket, we've got to be in the top five to qualify in T20 men's and women's. We're currently in that position. We've got good experience - in golf, in rugby, in women's football - of how the four nations can come together and nominate one country to be the main governing body, and work with the other countries. So I think cricket will be the same.
“The ECB will be at the centre of that. They'll have to work with Cricket Scotland to make sure that happens properly. And we will help them sign agreements to come together and create a single national governing body, as we have done in those other sports.”
He added: “But we are working very closely with the ECB at the moment to make them become a fully fledged National Olympic Committee member.”