The first soccer match of the Paris Olympics erupted in chaos after fans stormed the pitch in protest of a late-game goal.
In a face-off against Argentina, Morocco led 2-0 for most of the match, but Argentina mounted a comeback in the 68th minute with a goal from forward Giuliano Simeone. In the 16th minute of stoppage time, Argentina midfielder Cristian Medina scored another goal, which would have tied the game 2-2 three minutes before the final whistle, reported The Guardian.
However, Moroccan fans proceeded to storm the field, throwing debris and what appeared to be flares. The match was suspended for nearly two hours while security cleared unruly fans off the pitch.
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Medina’s goal was eventually disqualified when another player was ruled to be off-sides after a review by the video-assisted referee. Both sides finished the remaining three minutes of stoppage time without a crowd, and Morocco was eventually declared the winner after the final score was tallied at 2-1.
A week ago Argentina’s victory at the 2024 Copa America also descended in chaos when violence broke out among fans.
Before the final match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, supporters of Argentina and runners-up Colombia clashed outside the arena.
“Numerous unruly fans not in possession of tickets made numerous attempts to breach the stadium gates, as well as to bypass security checkpoints for the safety of all attendees,” the Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement. The clashes resulted in “extensive damage to stadium property occurred as well as injuries to stadium personnel, law enforcement officers, and innocent patrons.”
After Argentina’s 1-0 win, midfielder Enzo Fernandez was caught on video chanting along to a song that contained derogatory lyrics toward Black people.
The French Football Federation told the Guardian they were planning to file a legal complaint with FIFA. Fernandez later apologized for the video, acknowledging the song contained “offensive language” and claimed he was “caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations.”
