The wild conclusion of Argentina’s Olympic soccer match against Morocco on Wednesday was dubbed “a scandal” by coach Javier Mascherano, while the head of the country’s soccer association claimed it “makes no sense.” Men’s soccer tournament play was delayed for about two hours due to Moroccan supporters storming the field and hurling bottles in protest of an Argentina goal that came late in the game. Argentina lost 2-1 after the video assistance referee later reversed the goal. “There was a scandal on the field. These are the Olympic Games, not a neighborhood competition, Mascherano declared. Following the Saint-Etienne match, Paris organizers stated they were attempting to “understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.” The Argentine soccer federation said on Wednesday that it had sent an official protest to FIFA, the world governing body and that it will take “what is necessary” to ensure the players’ safety.
Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia stated, “It makes no sense, and that goes against the competition rules. Our players having to warm up again and continue to play a match that should have been suspended by the main referee after Morocco fans entered the pitch is something that makes no sense and that goes against the competition rules.” The Argentina squad also reported that before the match, their training camp was broken into, with player Thiago Almada’s watch being removed. In the meantime, tensions between the two countries erupted over the Argentine soccer team’s disparaging post-match chants toward French players at the Copa America. According to his office, Argentine President Javier Milei landed in Paris on Thursday and is scheduled to see French President Emmanuel Macron. In the 16th minute of additional time at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Cristian Medina’s goal looked to tie the game at two, causing fans from Morocco to rush the field in protest. In addition, there were bottle throws from the audience, and security tackled fans on the field in frantic scenes.

What transpired during Morocco’s match vs. Argentina?

The Group B match between Argentina and Morocco got underway at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard at 2 pm BST/9 am ET. Morocco led 2-0 at the break owing to goals by Soufiane Rahimi in each half. However, in the 68th minute, Giuliano Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego, cut the deficit in half for Argentina. After 15 minutes of stoppage time, Argentina believed they had equalized when Medina headed home after the ball had struck the Morocco woodwork twice in the seconds before. First, Morocco’s goalkeeper Munir diverted Nicolas Otamendi’s strike into the crossbar. The ball was then headed in by Medina from close range after Bruno Amione’s looping header struck the crossbar. There were crazy scenes in the stands, with several glasses and bottles hurled in the direction of the Argentina players who were celebrating. Stewards pursued a few spectators who had sprinted onto the field while wearing the flag of Morocco. A flare-like object appeared to go off on the touchline where several players were standing and the two dugouts were situated, according to broadcast footage. As riot police waited nearby, players ducked, covered their heads, and quickly fled the field.
At 4.10 p.m. BST/11.10 a.m. ET, the game appeared to have concluded in a 2-2 draw. The broadcast stream stopped, and the next match between Egypt and the Dominican Republic was shown. The game was over, according to the official Olympic match blog. A notice that said, “Your session has been suspended,” appeared on the big screen as fans were ordered to exit the stadium. Kindly proceed to the closest exit.

There were pictures of players from Argentina trembling as something that looked like a flare was thrown onto the field

“I understand why the Argentine athletes might have been concerned,” stated Bruno Le Ray, the security director for the organizing committee. The absence of barriers separating the stands from the field is a well-known feature of Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. No firecrackers were ever shot, as far as we know. Undoubtedly, there has been an incident, but not in the sense of security. “I deplore the attitude of certain supporters during the match, which tarnished the image of our loyal fans,” Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi said on X. Football is not the venue for such behavior. Amidst the chaos, players went to their locker rooms, and spectators were instructed to vacate the stadium, leading some to believe that the final whistle had been blown. The official FIFA website announced the outcome as 2-2. However, it was subsequently revealed that Medina’s goal was being reviewed and that the game had been halted with only a few minutes left to play.
After nearly two hours, the players returned to warm up in an empty stadium, and referee Glenn Nyberg said he was watching the goal on the touchline monitor. Then he affirmed that it would be thrown out for being offside. The teams played the final three minutes with Morocco holding on for the victory. Security caused the game to be halted. Mascherano stated, “They never discussed any change (of the play) with us. It’s unclear, of course, but we must proceed. It’s over; it already happened. The two games that are left must be our key priorities. Hold in your rage until the next games, when you may unleash it all. Argentina, the two-time gold medalist, was among the pre-tournament favorites and was looking to add to its collection of medals after taking home the World Cup in 2022 and the Copa Americas in a row.