Boxers qualify for the Olympic Games through regional qualifying tournaments in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania, such as the World Amateur Championships. The number of boxers accepted from any region depends upon the strength of boxing in the region.

There are eleven men's boxing events, one for each weight category. A country can enter a maximum of one athlete per weight category. The host nation is allocated a maximum of six places (if not otherwise qualified).

There is a limit of 28 boxers for each event, except for heavyweight and super heavyweight which have a limit of 16. This limits the total number of boxers to 284.