Scandal at Paris 2024: Surreal Finish in Argentina vs. Morocco
Amid huge controversy, Argentina loses to Morocco in the men's football opener at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
It was a tough match for Argentina against Morocco in their debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Argentina suffered a controversial defeat where they scored a last-minute goal to tie the game. However, the referee temporarily suspended the match due to fans invading the pitch, and an hour and a half later, VAR decided to disallow Argentina's goal.
Throughout the match, Javier Mascherano's team tried to open the scoring on several occasions but couldn't succeed, as the Moroccans played at the same level as Argentina, who began their quest for a new international title. However, Morocco took the lead in the 45+2’ minute of the first half, courtesy of Soufiane Rahimi, who took advantage of a cross in the small area to simply push the ball into the net.
In the second half, the Moroccan team came out of the locker room with the motivation to increase their lead. In the 50th minute of the second half, Soufiane Rahimi scored his second goal and the second for his team with a penalty, putting the score at 2-0 at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium.
Minutes later, the “albiceleste” responded with a goal from Giuliano Simeone in the 67' minute. This goal brought Argentina closer on the scoreboard and gave their team hope to start the Olympics without a loss on their record.
In the final moments of the match, with 15 minutes of added time, one of the biggest controversies unfolded. Christian Medina scored to make it 2-2, seemingly securing a point for Argentina. However, the game was suspended when Moroccan fans invaded the pitch in protest against the lengthy stoppage time given by the referee. Later, FIFA announced that Medina's goal was disallowed by VAR, and three more minutes of play were needed.
As a result, Argentina lost their debut match at the Paris 2024 Olympics to the surprising Moroccan team. With this outcome, Morocco secured the victory and three points in the first round of Group B, which they share with Ukraine and Iraq.