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Qualifiers

AFC

The Asian qualifying road consisted of two preliminary stages and one final round. In the end, Australia, Korea Republic and Japan finished top of their respective groups to reach the finals in Beijing. The trio joins China PR, who qualify automatically as hosts.

CAF

The third and final round of qualifying groups ran from June 2007 to March 2008. Group winners Nigeria (Group A), Cote d'Ivoire (Group B) and Cameroon (Group C) all reached Beijing.

UEFA

The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007, played between 10 and 23 June 2007, served as the qualifying competition. Netherlands, the tournament hosts and holders, retained the trophy to lead a quartet that also included beaten finalists Serbia and Belgium. With the other semi-finalists, England, ineligible to compete in the Olympics, a play-off between Italy and Portugal on 21 June provided the Azzurrini with the fourth and final qualiying slot.

CONCACAF

By reaching the final of the eight-team CONCACAF qualifying tournament in the USA in March, the host Americans and Honduras booked passage to Beijing 2008.

OFC

The final qualifying tournament will take place in Fiji in March 2008 by way of a six-team round robin including New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The winner will qualify as the lone Oceania representative for Beijing 2008.

CONMEBOL

Brazil and Argentina, winners and runners-up respectively at the South American U-20 Championship in Paraguay in January 2007, became the first two teams to book their places at the Men's Olympic Football Tournament at Beijing 2008.

Host Country

China PR, as the host country, qualify automatically.