On Friday, Spain and France will face off in the men’s Olympic football final at Parc des Princes.
Spain, continuing their remarkable summer after winning Euro 2024 and the U-19 European Championship, secured their place in the final with a 2-1 victory over Morocco.
France, the hosts, advanced by defeating Egypt 3-1 in extra time, marking their return to the Olympic final for the first time since 1984.
In the semi-final match, Spain overcame a 1-0 deficit after Moroccan striker Sofiane Rahimi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 36th minute.
Spain equalized through Fermin Lopez, who later assisted Juanlu Sanchez for the winning goal. Despite their dominant possession, Spain struggled to break down a resilient Moroccan defence until late in the game.
France’s path to the final was marked by a hard-fought battle against Egypt. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice, including the decisive goal in extra time.
Egypt initially led through Saber Abdelmohsen, but France responded with an equalizer from Mateta in the final ten minutes.
An injury-time penalty appeal by France was overturned after a lengthy review, and Egypt’s Omar Fayed was sent off early in extra time, leaving Egypt at a disadvantage.
Both teams now look to add to their Olympic accolades, with Spain seeking a second gold medal and France aiming for their first since 1984.
Meanwhile, Morocco and Egypt will compete for the bronze medal in Nantes on Thursday, each vying for their first Olympic podium finish.
