Frank Christian
The first major controversy of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games occurred during the Argentina vs. Morocco soccer match, where a late equalizer was nullified over an hour after the match had seemingly ended.
Argentina faced a 2-1 defeat to Morocco after an intense game that saw added time stretched beyond explanation.
Despite Argentina managing to score a late equalizer, confusion and frustration erupted among fans of both teams, culminating in chaotic scenes on the field.
Following a long period of deliberation, the result was overturned, and Argentina ultimately lost 2-1 in a highly contentious manner.
The details of this dramatic finish were extensively covered by Sporting News.
Summary of the Argentina vs. Morocco Match
At the end of regular time, Morocco was leading 2-1. However, prolonged time-wasting tactics and a pitch invasion resulted in an unprecedented 15 minutes of injury time being added.
The chaotic events that ensued after Giuliano Simeone’s equalizing goal included fan disruptions and object-throwing incidents targeting the Argentine players, leading to the match’s suspension at first.
In a surprising twist, VAR technology played a pivotal role in the game, ultimately nullifying Argentina’s dramatic equalizer due to an offside decision made over an hour following the supposed conclusion of the match.
Reason for Disallowing Argentina’s Goal by VAR
The late equalizer scored by Argentina was annulled by VAR due to Ignacio Fernandez’s offside position during the goal-scoring sequence, involving a rebound off the woodwork that led to Simeone’s goal.
The controversy stemmed not from the decision itself but from the manner in which it unfolded, prolonging the match’s duration and culminating in Morocco’s 2-1 victory.
Four hours after kickoff, the final outcome was confirmed, concluding the match in an empty stadium due to the unprecedented turn of events.
In the aftermath of this tumultuous match, Argentina’s head coach Javier Mascherano described it as “the biggest circus” he had ever witnessed, with soccer superstar Lionel Messi expressing his disbelief on Instagram.
