2024 Paris Olympics: Soccer fans react to Canadian women's team's 6-point punishment for drone-spying scandal

Less than a week after an uncredited Canadian staffer was detained for operating a drone and filming the New Zealand women's soccer team's closed-door practice, Canada's women's national team (WNT) was hit hard with multiple suspensions and a six-point penalty at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Canada head coach Bev Priestman, who initially removed herself from coaching the team's 2-1 win over New Zealand on Wednesday, had been suspended by Canada Soccer and sent home from the Olympics.

Two days later, FIFA came down hard on Priestman, who has been banned from international competition for one year. Assistant coaches Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander also received a one-year ban. The punishment also includes a $226,000 fine for Canada Soccer. The federation was reportedly punished for not ensuring its coaching staff complied with tournament and international rules.

The six-point penalty is quite significant for a team that came to Paris with dreams of defending their 2021 Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. Canada will essentially have to win their next two games — against France on Sunday and Colombia on Thursday — in order to finish the group stage with the three points it secured in Wednesday's win against New Zealand. From there, the Canada WNT will have to hope those three points are enough to finish in the top two in their group.

Following FIFA's punishment, the Canadian Olympic Committee noted it is "exploring rights of appeal," according to the Canadian Press. In Paris, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has a special Olympic court set up for urgent hearings and verdicts.

The controversy has been dominating the Olympic headlines since before the Summer Games officially began, with reactions ranging anywhere from Canada's a "country full of cheaters" to "cancel culture sucks." Reaction to Saturday's six-point punishment and Priestman's year-long suspension was swift, with many taking to X to voice their frustrations.

While some were furious with Priestman and Canada Soccer, others were quick to share their sympathy for the Canadian WNT players, who now must overcome incredible adversity and need plenty of good luck to advance beyond the group stage.