Barcelona legends Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol were part of the Spanish team which won the Silver medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000...
Football in the Olympics is played as a U23 competition, a rule that has been in place since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
A primary reason why the football competition, which started at the 1900 Olympics, was converted into a U23 affair was to avoid competition with the World Cup which is the biggest tournament in football.
Several top players have played at the Olympics in the early part of their careers. While players like Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Pep Guardiola and Samuel Eto'o have won gold medals representing their country at the Olympics, quite a few notable players like Romario, Hernan Crespo, Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol have missed out on the gold by a whisker.