The Argentina vs Morocco match is being regarded as a ‘historical Olympic scandal.’

(Argentina vs Morocco) Global Media Surprised by Argentina’s Goal Disallowed and the Match Restarting After Nearly Two Hours at the Olympic Men’s Soccer

At 16:06 on July 24, Paris time, midfielder Cristian Medina scored a close-range header to equalize 2-2 for Argentina vs Morocco in the 16th minute of stoppage time during the second half. Three minutes later, with Morocco still not restarting the game, referee Glenn Nyberg blew the final whistle as Moroccan fans stormed the field, some throwing flares towards the Argentine players. Television broadcasters also stopped airing the match, switching to the next game between Egypt and the Dominican Republic.

At 17:38, an hour and a half after the final whistle, when the players had already entered the locker room, the organizers announced that Medina’s goal had been disallowed, meaning Argentina was still trailing 1-2. They instructed the players to warm up to resume the remaining minutes.

The teams returned to the field at 18:00, after all spectators had left. At 18:07, referee Nyberg blew the final whistle again, marking a 2-1 victory for Morocco in the opening match of Group B.

Spanish newspaper Marca headlined it as a “historic Olympic scandal.” “Flares exploded, fans stormed the field midway, the game was interrupted, the goal was disallowed after two hours, and Argentina lost.”

Argentine players were nearly hit by flares during the celebration of Medina’s equalizer.

Before the first final whistle, referee Nyberg thought there were still a few minutes left, and the organizers wanted both teams to continue playing, but Argentina refused due to security concerns. Some of their players were almost hit by flares, and the Moroccan fans storming the field could be dangerous. The large screen at Geoffroy-Guichard also announced that all spectators should leave the stadium.

Former US goalkeeper Tim Howard, commenting on USA Network, was also surprised by the teams returning to the field after nearly two hours. “I’ve been involved in top-level soccer for 25 years, but I’ve never seen such chaos,” he said. “The scene was unbelievable.”

Marca called it an “unprecedented situation,” while the British newspaper Guardian described the match as “a complete mess,” and the German paper Bild remarked that “Olympics 2024 started in a completely crazy way.”

Claudio Tapia, President of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), announced on social media that he would petition FIFA to investigate the incident and clarify the responsibilities of those involved. AFA also stated that they had filed a complaint with FIFA’s disciplinary committee, arguing that the situation was “completely absurd and contrary to the spirit of the Games.”

Superstar Lionel Messi, watching the match, also posted on social media: “Unbelievable,” with a wide-eyed emoji. Coach Javier Mascherano considered it a circus he had never encountered in his life. Center-back Nicolas Otamendi revealed that neither team wanted to continue playing, and they had to wait in the locker room for over an hour and a half without any updates.

Argentina had also lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia in their World Cup 2022 opener but went on to win the tournament. This time, Mascherano’s team hopes to replicate that success, but they must achieve good results against Iraq on July 27 and Ukraine on July 30.

A similar VAR intervention after the final whistle occurred in the Premier League when Manchester United faced Brighton on September 26, 2020. A few minutes after the final whistle, VAR informed the referee that Manchester United should have been awarded a penalty in the last play of the match. The referee reviewed the situation, agreed, and called the players back onto the field to take the penalty, which they scored, winning 3-2. The referee then blew the final whistle again.

FIFA’s Laws of the Game (IFAB) also has details addressing similar situations: “VAR review is not time-limited, as accuracy is more important than speed. The review process should be conducted as efficiently as possible to ensure the accuracy of the final decision. The referee can change a previous decision if necessary and restart the match according to the regulations.”