Canada Loses Appeal in FIFA Drone-Spying Scandal

Canada's appeal against a six-point deduction in the Paris Olympics women's soccer tournament was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The punishment was imposed after two assistant coaches used drones to spy on New Zealand's practices. Canada's head coach and assistants were banned for a year.

Canada's bid to overturn a six-point deduction in the Paris Olympics women's soccer tournament ended in failure on Wednesday, as ruled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The panel of three judges confirmed the punishment initially imposed by FIFA.

The scandal erupted when two Canadian assistant coaches were found using drones to spy on New Zealand's practice sessions ahead of the tournament's opening game.

Despite currently holding zero points and ranking third in Group A, Canada can still advance to the quarterfinals with a win against Colombia, just hours away. Head coach Bev Priestman and her assistants face a year-long ban following their removal from the Olympics by Canadian officials.