France, the host nation, secured a dramatic victory over Egypt in the men’s Olympic football semifinals, advancing to the final of the Paris 2024 Games. The match at the Lyon Stadium saw France rally from behind after Egypt took the lead in the 62nd minute through Mahmoud Saber’s strike. Jean-Phillipe Mateta emerged as the hero for France, scoring a brace in stoppage time to turn the tide of the match. His second goal came after Omar Fayed was dismissed, giving France the momentum to secure the win. Michael Olise sealed the result in the 108th minute, finding the back of the net with a left-footed finish. Mateta’s brace brought his total goals in the competition to four.
Spain also booked their place in the final with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Morocco at the Stade de Marseille. Morocco, led by the tournament’s top scorer Soufiane Rahimi, took the lead in the 37th minute through a penalty conversion. Spain fought back after halftime, equalizing in the 66th minute through Fermin Lopez’s opportunistic strike. Substitute Juanlu Sanchez then put Spain ahead in the 85th minute with a low shot from a tight angle, giving them the victory. Morocco will now compete for the bronze medal on Thursday, while Spain will face France in the final on Friday at the Parc des Princes. This will be Spain’s second consecutive appearance in the Olympic men’s football final, having won silver at the Tokyo Games.
