Canada’s Olympic Soccer Team Busted After Spying on Rivals With Drone

Sanctions and suspensions related to drone-related misconduct are sweeping Canada Soccer during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Monday, July 29, 2024 at 05:11 PM ET

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Canada’s Olympic women’s soccer team faces FIFA sanctions over coaches’ use of drones to spy on an opponent’s practices. [Courtesy: Canada Soccer]

Key Takeaways:

The Canadian women's soccer team is embroiled in a major Olympic scandal after a staff member was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand's practice, leading to a six-point deduction by FIFA, effectively ending their Olympic hopes.
This incident has exposed a systemic issue within Canada Soccer, with allegations that both men's and women's teams have routinely used drones to spy on opponents for years, reportedly coercing staff into compliance.
Key personnel, including head coach Bev Priestman, have been suspended, and the drone operator received an 18-month prison sentence in France, while the Canadian Olympic Committee appeals FIFA's decision.

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The Canadian women’s soccer team is embroiled in an Olympic-sized scandal over its use of drones to spy on the competition.

The Canadian Olympic Committee is appealing a decision by the FIFA Appeal Committee to dock the team six points in the Paris Olympic Games soccer competition’s group stage—effectively dashing the team’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage—over allegations of filming the practices of its first opponent, New Zealand.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.