Paxten Aaronson, Fabian Balbuena, Soufiane Rahimi, and Carlos Jara Saguier feature as FIFA looks at the best stats from the groups.
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Previous medalists made Olympic history
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Paraguay’s late show rewrote the record books
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Long-awaited wins, milestone goals and an age-defying coach made it a group stage to remember
7,280
Morocco started as they meant to go on in Paris: by making history. The Atlas Lions stunned Argentina on 24 July to win their first match at the Olympics for a staggering 7,280 days. Iraq’s wait for a victory was just three days shorter, having beaten Australia in the quarter-finals 20 years ago, they finally added another win to the tally against Ukraine.
2,400
USA’s Paxten Aaronson netted the 2,400th goal of the Men’s Olympic Tournament when he slotted home the States’ fourth against New Zealand.
154
In Spain’s opening-day clash with Uzbekistan, just 154 seconds separated Sergio Gomez having his penalty saved by Abduvohid Nematov and him eventually netting the winning goal.
98
Ihor Krasnopir claimed the latest goal of the opening round, when he bundled home a dramatic winner for ten-player Ukraine against Morocco in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
73
At 73 years and 266 days, Paraguay’s Carlos Jara Saguier became the oldest coach ever at the Games when he took charge of his side’s match against Japan, overtaking Jean Rigal who was 69 years 264 days when he led France to Rome 1960. With Paraguay still at the tournament, he will extend that record in Paris.
65
In total, 65 goals were scored across the 24 matches – an average of 2.7 goals per game. France, Japan and USA each netted a joint-high seven across their three respective matches.
22
Goals in the third and sixth minute of second-half stoppage time by Fabian Balbuena and Marcelo Fernandez helped Paraguay sink Israel 4-2 in a Parc des Princes thriller. It was the first time the same team had netted twice in added time of a group-stage match in 32 years, when Egypt’s Hady Khashaba scored a quick-fire brace to stun Colombia in a 4-3 win at Barcelona 1992.
12
The largest age gap between two goalscoring team-mates in the same match was 12 years. It came in that Paraguay defeat of Israel, when 19-year-old Julio Enciso netted before Balbuena, exactly 12 years and five months his senior, scored in stoppage time.
4
Morocco goal-getter Soufiane Rahimi leads the way in the scoring stakes with four strikes so far. It’s the first time an African player has top-scored in the group stage since Senegal’s Moussa Konate also hit four during this phase of the competition at London 2012.
1
With Argentina, France, Japan, Paraguay and USA all safely through, this marks the first Men’s Olympic Football Tournament in which every previous medalist competing has advanced from the group stage.
