The football tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics started on 18 July and ended on 31 July. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested. 13 teams participated in the tournament, while three African teams withdrew in support of the anti-racism boycott.[1] East Germany won the gold, defeating Poland in the final, with the Soviet Union taking the bronze.
^North Korean player An Gil-wan was suspended for a year for attacking the referee three times during the game.[2] The International Olympic Committee issued a warning to the entire North Korean team threatening to impose a blanket ban on the delegation.
With six goals, Andrzej Szarmach of Poland is the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 66 goals were scored by 44 different players, with only one of them credited as own goal.