The
constituent countries of the UK are represented individually at
FIFA (and, thus,
UEFA) tournaments, but together at the Olympics. While in the women's competition, the football associations of
Northern Ireland,
Wales and
Scotland allowed their players to compete as Great Britain in the Olympics, they did not in the men's, with the concern that it would threaten their independence in other competitions. While England's position would qualify a Great Britain team, the football associations refused to be represented. Great Britain did not send either a women's or men's football team to the
2016 Olympics, due to the same issue, though contested the event with both teams
at home in 2012.
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