Canada Appeals Olympic Women’s Soccer Spying Penalty, Decision Expected Wednesday

The Canadian Olympic Committee has officially appealed FIFA’s decision to deduct six points from the Canadian women’s soccer team at the 2024 Paris Olympics due to allegations of using drones to spy on opponents. The penalty also included a $226,000 fine and a one-year suspension for head coach Beverly Priestman and assistants Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, after they were caught using drones to observe New Zealand’s practices ahead of their first game.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has an Olympic court established in Paris and is expected to hold an expedited hearing on Tuesday. The final decision will be announced on Wednesday, coinciding with the last day of group stage matches and the finalization of the knockout round schedule.

Under interim coach Andy Spence, Team Canada, the defending Olympic champions, has already secured victories against New Zealand and France in Group A. Despite the point deduction, Canada could still progress to the knockout stage if they win their final group match on Wednesday night in Nice. The top two teams from each of the three groups, along with two third-place teams, will advance.