The association football tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics was won by the Soviet Union.
Defending champions Hungary were forced to withdraw due to the Soviet invasion of their country. Besides Hungary, the tournament was ignored by Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. In addition to the situation with Hungary, several more countries boycotted the competitions due to the Suez Crisis, while China ignored the tournament due to the IOC recognition of Taiwan.
This was the first Olympic football tournament where all the medalists were communist countries, with Yugoslavia and Bulgaria taking silver and bronze respectively.
Following five withdrawals, the tournament featured three Eastern Bloc teams and four from Asia. The other sides included in the draw were the United States, the United Team of Germany (which was de facto West Germany), Great Britain and the hosts Australia, competing in their first Olympic football tournament.
The tendency of Eastern bloc countries to provide state-funding for their athletes put Western amateurs at a significant disadvantage. As a result, all Olympic football tournaments 1952 onwards were dominated by the Soviet Union and its satellites.
Hungary announced their withdrawal on 31 August, a day before the draw. The draw was made with fifteen teams, India receiving a bye. Four more teams withdrew after the final draw: China (boycotted the Games to protest the reception of Taiwan), Egypt (withdrew due to Suez Crisis), Turkey and Vietnam.
Therefore, only three games were played in the first round: as China and Turkey had been drawn against each other, their match was scratched.
The Soviet Union defeated the United Team of Germany 2âÂÂ1, Great Britain defeated Thailand 9âÂÂ0, and Australia defeated Japan 2âÂÂ0.
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Byes: Bulgaria (drawn against Egypt, who withdrew), India, Indonesia (drawn against Vietnam, who withdrew), USA and Yugoslavia (drawn against each other: match was postponed to the quarter-finals).
Yugoslavia defeated the United States 9âÂÂ1.
Bulgaria led Great Britain 3âÂÂ1 at half-time, when ratings from vaulted the fence and exhorted the team to show more grit, after which they were peacefully escorted off the field. The British team went on to lose 6âÂÂ1.
The Soviet Union drew their game against Indonesia 0âÂÂ0 and won 4âÂÂ0 in the replay.
The Indians defeated Australia 4âÂÂ2 with a hat trick by centre forward Neville D'Souza, the first by an Asian in the Olympics. Prior to the game there had been debate, once again, as to whether the Indians should be shod. Sir Stanley Rous respected their decision either way, although in the end, the Indians decided to wear boots.
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Yugoslavia defeated India 4âÂÂ1. It would be their third consecutive Olympic final, after losing both in 1948 and 1952.
The Soviets defeated Bulgaria 2âÂÂ1. Normal time finished 0âÂÂ0, and Bulgaria scored first in extra time before conceding two goals in the last six minutes of the game.
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Bulgaria took Bronze defeating India 3âÂÂ0.
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