The president of Argentina’s soccer federation criticized the chaotic conclusion of their Olympic soccer match against Morocco on Wednesday, calling it “nonsensical.” Coach Javier Mascherano described the situation as “a scandal.”

The men’s soccer tournament’s opening match was halted for almost two hours during extra time after Moroccan fans stormed the field and threw bottles in reaction to a late goal by Argentina. The goal was later disallowed by the video assistant referee, leading to a 2-1 defeat for Argentina.

Mascherano expressed his frustration, saying, “What occurred on the field was a scandal. These are the Olympic Games, not a local tournament.”

Organizers in Paris are currently working to “understand the causes and identify appropriate actions” following the incident in Saint-Etienne. Argentina’s soccer federation has lodged a formal protest with FIFA and is committed to ensuring player safety. Claudio Tapia, president of the Argentina Football Association, criticized the lengthy delay in the dressing room, the pitch invasion, the violence faced by the Argentine delegation, and the need for players to rewarm and finish a game that he believes should have been suspended by the referee. He also mentioned that the team’s training base was robbed before the match, with a watch belonging to midfielder Thiago Almada among the stolen items.In parallel, Argentine President Javier Milei arrived in Paris on Thursday and is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron amid rising tensions related to derogatory post-match chants by the Argentine team about French players at the Copa America.

During the match at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Moroccan fans stormed the field after Cristian Medina’s goal in the 16th minute of stoppage time appeared to level the score at 2-2. Bottles were thrown, and security had to tackle fans. Thomas Collomb, deputy director of security for Paris organizers, explained that some fans thought the match had ended and invaded the pitch. He assured that there was no security risk for players or spectators, and a security bubble was quickly formed around the athletes after the final whistle.

Images showed Argentine players reacting nervously when what looked like a flare was thrown onto the field. Bruno Le Ray, the organizing committee’s security director, acknowledged the incident but stressed that Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, known for its lack of barriers between stands and pitch, did not pose a security threat.

Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi condemned the behavior of some supporters, stating it damaged the reputation of their fans. The confusion led to the belief that the match had concluded when players left the field and fans were asked to exit. FIFA initially reported the final score as 2-2, but it was later clarified that the game was still in progress and Medina’s goal was under review.

After nearly two hours, players returned to warm up in an empty stadium while referee Glenn Nyberg reviewed the goal on a touchline monitor and eventually ruled it offside. Morocco then secured their victory as the match resumed for the final three minutes.

Mascherano expressed his confusion over the situation but urged his team to focus on their remaining matches. Argentina, a two-time gold medalist and recent World Cup and Copa America winner, was a pre-tournament favorite.

Morocco is set to play Ukraine at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Saturday. In response to the incident, Le Ray announced plans to enhance security by adding barriers or private security.