Five-a-side: The 'beautiful game' at the Games

(CNN) -- The Olympic football tournament was won by holders Argentina, who retained their title courtesy of a 1-0 final victory over Nigeria,

The success justified the inclusion of Barcelona playmaker Lionel Messi, who eventually played in Beijing much to his club's annoyance.

But does football have a place at the Olympics?

The Fan Zone presents five reasons in favor of football at the Games and five reasons against its inclusion. Let us know what you think below.

Yes

The Global Games: The Summer Olympics is the world's greatest sporting festival, featuring 35 different sports and almost 400 events. Football is the most popular game on the planet and the Olympics' claim to be representative of world sport would be severely undermined if football was not included. Other major sports such as tennis and basketball send their best players to compete. The football tournament will attract the biggest crowds in Beijing as well as giving the cities of Shanghai, Shenyang, Qinhuangdao and Tianjin a chance to share in the Olympic celebration.

History: Olympic football tournaments have been played nearly continuously since 1900, predating the creation of the sport's own international competitions. Prior to the first World Cup in 1930, the Olympics was the pinnacle of the sport. The tournament therefore played a key role in football's development and globalization. Many of the sport's greatest sides, such as the Uruguayan side of the 1920s which won back-to-back gold medals in 1924 and 1928 before lifting the inaugural World Cup two years later, and Ferenc Puskas' great Hungary side of the 1950s, made their mark in Olympic competition.

The Players: Anyone who wonders whether the Olympic football tournament matters should take a look at some of the players taking part in Beijing, many of them defying the objections of their clubs to do so. Defending champions Argentina include Juan Roman Riquelme and Javier Mascherano in their ranks, though Lionel Messi's hopes of participating have been blocked after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal by his club side Barcelona. Not to be outdone, Brazil -- who have never won Olympic gold -- have called up former world footballer of the year Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Diego and Anderson. The Olympic tournament is growing in importance, not diminishing, and a gold medal remains one of the ultimate prizes in sport.

Women's football: Men's football may not need the exposure but women's football definitely benefits from its inclusion at the Olympics. In the women's game, the Olympic tournament is at least equal to and arguably more important than the World Cup itself. Unlike the men's edition, the women's tournament brings together the best players and the best teams in the world. The current top three female players in the world according to the 2007 FIFA awards -- Marta and Christiane of Brazil and Birgit Prinz of Germany -- will all be in Beijing. The Olympics offers them a rare chance to share the spotlight with their male counterparts.

Continuity: The Olympic tournament complements FIFA's existing structure, providing what is effectively an under-23 world championship that fills the gap between the senior game and the under-17 and under-20 tournaments. Qualification for the Olympics in the key footballing regions of Europe and South America is decided by UEFA's under-21 European championship and by South America's under-20 championship, providing an incentive for countries to take those tournaments, and youth football in general, seriously.

No

The World Cup: Athletes, swimmers and gymnasts may dream of winning Olympic gold but no footballer can truthfully claim the same. The World Cup -- the only comparable sporting event to the Summer Olympics in terms of its global reach, commercial value and logistical challenges -- offers the ultimate test in global football, bringing together the world's best players and the world's best teams and rendering the Olympic tournament utterly meaningless. A gold medal should be the crowning glory of a sporting career yet it barely registers on football's radar.

Club vs. country: Football is a club-oriented sport. For most players, league competition and, for the European elite, the Champions League are the main priorities. With the European season getting under way, players should already be back at their clubs, preparing for the long campaign ahead rather than taking part in a spurious tournament on the far side of the world. Clubs including Barcelona, Werder Bremen and Schalke have registered their objections. Coaches have expressed their exasperation. Most supporters would rather see Beijing-bound players turning out for the clubs who pay their wages and for the fans who buy season tickets to watch them.

Player burnout: Coaches frequently complain that their players are already playing too many matches, risking injury and exhaustion. For some teams involved in preliminary European competition, the season already stretches from mid-July to mid-May. The European Championship ended a little more than a month ago and new seasons will be under way shortly in England, Germany and France (The Spanish and Italian leagues kick off the last weekend in August). The Olympic tournament -- likely to be played in 30-plus degrees Celsius heat -- is merely an unwelcome addition to an already overstretched calendar.

Inconsistency: The Olympics is supposed to celebrate the best of sport. Most top Olympians are now fully professional athletes. Yet the bizarre rules of the football tournament prevent countries from naming their best sides, limiting them to under-23 players plus three overage players. Why sell the tournament short with rules that don't apply to other sports? If FIFA is not prepared to allow the Olympics to be fully representative of the sport it governs then football should not be admitted at all.

Other sports: Football has outgrown the Olympics. Part of the fun of the Olympics is that it celebrates those sports that don't usually draw in the crowds or make the headlines. Beyond the glitz of the athletics track and the swimming pool, the real stars of the Olympics are a prevously unheralded cast of shot-putters, gymnasts, wrestlers, rowers, sailors, archers and weightlifters who will go home to their countries as gold medal-wearing national heroes. Allowing some of the world's most famous -- and most lucratively rewarded -- footballers to share their limelight detracts from the Olympic spirit.