2-Hour Suspension and Goal Cancellation... Total Chaos in First Soccer Match [Paris Olympics]

Confusion in Argentina-Morocco Men's Soccer
Match Suspended Just Before End... VAR Resumed After 2 Hours
Argentina's Last Goal 'Canceled', Morocco Final Victory

The men's soccer match between Argentina and Morocco, the first game of the 2024 Paris Olympics, was played amid unusual chaos including crowd riots, match suspension, and goal reversal.

On the 24th, at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-?tienne, Paris, a security guard is apprehending a Moroccan fan who invaded the field just before the end of the men's football Group B match between Argentina and Morocco at the 2024 Olympics.
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

On the 24th (local time), Argentina trailed by one goal in their Group B men's soccer opener against Morocco at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-?tienne, France. Later, after more than 15 minutes of added time in the second half, Cristian Medina (Boca Juniors) scored a dramatic goal, seemingly securing a 2-2 draw.

However, immediately after Medina's goal, the stadium turned into a chaotic scene. Enraged Moroccan fans, angered by Medina's celebration, threw water bottles and plastic cups and even invaded the pitch. The referee stopped the match to review Medina's goal using Video Assistant Referee (VAR). For safety, players from both teams left the field.

Due to the rare disorder, the official Paris Olympics organizing committee information site, 'MyInfo,' marked the match as 'suspended.' As time passed, confusion arose with the match supervisor stating discussions were underway on whether to end the match. However, about two hours after the incident, a decision was made to 'resume the match after VAR.' The VAR review ultimately ruled the goal offside, canceling Argentina's score.

Only then were the players allowed back on the field to complete the remaining approximately three minutes of play and finish the match. This confirmed Morocco's 2-1 victory.

The Olympic men's soccer tournament, featuring 16 teams, is divided into four groups for the group stage, followed by a quarterfinal knockout round between the top two teams from each group. Argentina's senior national team solidified its status as the strongest team of the era by achieving three consecutive major tournament wins: the 2021 Copa Am?rica, the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and the 2024 Copa Am?rica. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), the key player of the senior team and nicknamed the 'God of Soccer,' did not participate in this Olympics.