Infantino calls for sanctions against Senegal after the events of the 2025 final

FIFA President Gianni Infantino strongly criticized the Senegalese national team following the dramatic events of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, held Sunday evening in Morocco. Infantino's comments came after the unprecedented action taken by the "Lions of Teranga" players, who temporarily walked off the pitch in protest against a refereeing decision to award a penalty to the host nation, Morocco.

In a match that rocked the global sports world, tensions ran high in the final minutes of regulation time when the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco. This decision infuriated Senegal's coach, Pape Thiaw, who instructed his players to leave the field and head to the dressing room. Observers described the scene as chaotic, and it resulted in a nearly 16-minute stoppage, during which clashes broke out between fans and security forces in the stands.

Infantino, in his official statement commenting on the incident, said, "He expects appropriate sanctions after the chaotic scenes," noting that what happened had nothing to do with sportsmanship. The FIFA president added, "Unfortunately, we also witnessed unacceptable scenes on the pitch and in the stands. We strongly condemn the behavior of some fans, as well as some Senegalese players and staff. Leaving the pitch in this manner is unacceptable, and likewise, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport. It is simply not right. We must always respect the decisions made by match officials both on and off the field.".

Despite the match resuming, and despite Moroccan star Brahim Diaz's controversial penalty miss, followed by Senegal's 1-0 victory in extra time, Infantino insisted that the incident should not be overlooked. He concluded his message firmly, saying, "I expect the relevant disciplinary bodies within the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to take appropriate action.".

These statements come at a time when FIFA is striving to promote the principles of "fair play" and respect for referees' decisions, however controversial, especially in major continental tournaments followed by millions worldwide. This situation puts significant pressure on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to issue deterrent sanctions that preserve the integrity of refereeing and prevent a recurrence of such withdrawals, which could threaten the fairness and continuity of competitions. The sanctions are expected to include fines and possibly suspensions for the technical or administrative staff responsible for the withdrawal decision, regardless of the outcome of the final match and Senegal's eventual victory.