Paris Olympics 2024: Argentina-Morocco match featured pitch invasion, 15 minutes of injury time, late equalizer overturned by VAR

In a match that had more twists and turns than a roller coaster, Morocco defeated Argentina 2-1 in the opening game of the men’s soccer tournament at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, the final score only tells half the story of a match that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Chaos Reigns as Morocco Edges Argentina in Wild Olympic Opener

The drama began in the 90+16th minute when Argentina’s Cristian Medina scored what appeared to be a dramatic late equalizer. The goal sparked scenes of jubilation on the Argentine bench and fury among the Moroccan fans, who invaded the pitch and threw objects at the players. The referee had no choice but to suspend the match, which was then delayed for nearly two hours.

When play finally resumed, it was in an empty stadium, as the fans had been forced to leave. The players were given a brief warm-up before the final three minutes of the match were played out. To add insult to injury, the goal was then disallowed by VAR for offside, a decision that was only confirmed over an hour after the match had originally ended.

The match had already been a tense affair, with Morocco taking a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Soufiane Rahimi in either half. Argentina had halved the deficit through Giuliano Simeone, but their hopes of a dramatic comeback were dashed by the late drama.

The scenes of chaos and confusion were a far cry from the spirit of the Olympic Games, and the match will go down as one of the most bizarre in the history of the tournament. Morocco emerged victorious, but the real winners were the fans who witnessed one of the most unforgettable matches in Olympic history.