FIFA has sanctioned the Canadian women’s national team with a six-point deduction at the 2024 Paris Olympics football event for spying on opponents using a drone.
Earlier this week, two members of the Canadian technical crew flew a drone over a New Zealand training session to gather intelligence on their Group A opponents, prompting New Zealand to lodge a complaint with FIFA.
On Wednesday, Canadian head coach Beverly Priestman took full responsibility for the incident and was subsequently removed by the Canada Soccer Association (CSA).
In a ruling on Saturday, the FIFA Appeal Committee described the act as a violation of fair play principles and determined that Canada and its officials breached Olympic Football Tournament (OFT) responsibilities.
The committee also banned Priestman, along with team officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, from all football-related activities for one year. Additionally, FIFA imposed a CHF 200,000 fine on the CSA. All parties involved have the right to appeal the decision within 10 days.
