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FIFA docks Canada women's soccer 6 points for drone spying

Published

2 years ago

July 28, 2024

FIFA docks Canada women's soccer 6 points for drone spying

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FIFA suspended Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman for one year, deducted six points from the team’s Olympic group stage total and issued a fine on Saturday in response to Canada flying a drone over New Zealand’s training sessions before the start of the Games.

The punishment immediately and severely hurt the chances for a second consecutive gold medal for Canada, which won the Olympic tournament in Tokyo in 2021, a run that was immediately questioned as the drone scandal emerged.

Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are exploring appeals to FIFA’s decision concerning the six docked points, viewing it as “excessively punitive” to the players, they said in statements Saturday.

“We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian women’s Olympic soccer team who as far as we understand played no role in this matter,” COC CEO David Shoemaker said.

The user of the drone in the incident that kicked off a large-scale investigation into Canada Soccer, team analyst Joseph Lombardi, was suspended for one year, as was assistant coach Jasmine Mander. The chairman of the FIFA appeal committee issued the decision.

FIFA found violations of article 13 of its code of conduct and article 6.1 of the Olympic football tournament regulations, both related to fair play. FIFA also noted that the decision was made — very quickly — because of its impact on the outcome of the ongoing Olympic tournament. Canada, in Group A, won its opener against New Zealand 2-1, and plays host France on Sunday.

FIFA’s fine is 200,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to $312,700 Canadian (or roughly $225,000 U.S.), another blow for a federation that has struggled financially over the course of the past year.

While the incident occurred at the Olympics, and the International Olympic Committee could also impose its own sanctions, FIFA also has jurisdiction as the international governing body, as it has “control and direction” of the Olympic tournaments for both the men and women.

New Zealand had directly requested that FIFA not award Canada any points for its victory over the Ferns in the group stage in the lead-up to Saturday’s decision. New Zealand commended the “swift action” taken against Canada but said it still believes Canada had “an unfair sporting advantage gained by filming our key tactical sessions.”

“It’s disappointing that New Zealand has been placed in such a position by actions of this nature, that impact the entire tournament, but now our focus is firmly on our remaining games against Colombia and France,” New Zealand Football said in a statement Saturday.

Canada Soccer could ask for a “motivated decision,” which would include a greater explanation of FIFA’s ruling that would be publicly posted on FIFA’s legal homepage, and the decision could also be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Canada could still advance out of Group A (which includes France, Colombia and New Zealand) if it wins all three of its matches to earn three points through the end of the group stage, depending on other results. With the limited size of the Olympic tournament at 12 teams, eight must advance — which means the top two third-place teams make it to the quarterfinals. There’s even a remote chance for Canada to advance on a single point, though it would have to rely on other poor performances and goal differentials to get through.

Canada Soccer removed Priestman from the Olympics on Friday, saying “additional information” came to light regarding previous drone use against opponents before the Paris Games. The federation has promised to perform its own investigation across the entirety of its program.

Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue said that based on what he had learned so far, he was concerned there was “a potential long-term, deeply embedded systemic culture” of surveillance of other teams.

GO DEEPER

Canada Olympic spying scandal: The unanswered questions and possible punishments

Canada Soccer had hoped to avoid any direct repercussions for the team in France. Blue stressed multiple times that players were unaware of any drone use, and should not be punished.

“Specifically, we do not feel that a deduction of points in this tournament would be fair to our players, particularly in light of the significant and immediate steps we’ve taken to address the situation,” he said Friday. Blue used this same argument again in his statement on Saturday: “Canada Soccer took swift action to suspend the implicated staff members and is also proceeding with a broad independent review that may lead to further disciplinary action.”

The joint decision to appeal FIFA’s decision, specifically on the grounds of the six points docked for Canada’s group stage play, is unsurprising but may not prove successful. FIFA’s disciplinary committee was largely concerned only with what happened at the Olympics over the past week. While players did not participate in the use of drones or other wrongdoing, they still potentially — if unwittingly — benefitted from their use.

After staff members for the New Zealand team reported a drone flying above their practice in Saint-Étienne on July 22, they notified local police. Lombardi, an “unaccredited analyst” with Canada’s women’s team, was detained, and law enforcement found footage from a previous New Zealand training session on July 19.

Canada Soccer attempted to head off any further punishment by sending Lombardi and Mander (the assistant coach he reported to) back home. Priestman also announced she would not coach in Canada’s opening match against New Zealand.

But the situation advanced quickly.

Blue said he was aware of multiple incidents across the program based on anecdotal evidence — including an attempt to use a drone to watch an opponent’s training session at Copa America.

A representative for Priestman told The Athletic that she was shocked and devastated by FIFA’s decision.

(Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)

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Sports

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo makes NBA history with 83-point game

Published

4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo makes NBA history with 83-point game

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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history on Tuesday night.

Adebayo scored 83 points, all while setting league marks for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-highest scoring game for a player ever, only to Wilt Chamberlain’s famed 100-point game.

“An absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game.

Adebayo started with a 31-point first quarter. He was up to 43 at halftime, 62 by the end of the third quarter. And then came the fourth, when the milestones kept falling despite facing double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line.

He finished 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 for 22 from 3-point range.

After the game, he was seen in tears while he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the floor after the game.

“Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore,” Adebayo’s girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media, “but at least it gives me something to go after.”

MAGIC’S ANTHONY BLACK MAKES INCREDIBLE DUNK OVER FOUR DEFENDERS IN HISTORIC NBA GAME

Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The NBA’s previous best this season was 56, by Nikola Jokic for Denver against Minnesota on Christmas night. The last player to have 62 points through three quarters: one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, Kobe Bryant, who had exactly that many through three quarters for the Los Angeles Lakers against Dallas on Dec. 20, 2005.

He wound up passing Bryant for single-game scoring as well. Bryant’s career-best was 81 — a game that was the second-best on the NBA scoring list for two decades.

Adebayo scored 31 points in the opening quarter against the Wizards, breaking the Heat record for points in any quarter — and tying the team record for points in a first half before the second quarter even started.

He finished the first half with 43 points, a team record for any half and two points better than his previous career high — for a full game, that is — of 41, set Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.

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Adebayo’s season high entering Tuesday was 32. He matched that with a free throw with 5:53 left in the second quarter, breaking the Heat first-half scoring record.

Adebayo’s 43-point first half was the NBA’s second-best in at least the last 30 seasons — going back to the start of the digital play-by-play era that began in the 1996-97 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Sports

Kings lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins

Published

5 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Kings lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins

BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots on Tuesday night to earn the Boston Bruins their 13th straight victory at home, 2-1 over the Kings.

Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.

It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.

In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins’ defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.

Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.

Swayman tied his career high with his 25th win of the season. The Bruins haven’t lost at the TD Garden since before Christmas.

After the game, Kings forward and future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar stayed on the ice to shake hands with the Bruins after what is expected to be his last game in Boston.

Sports

Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

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Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card

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Mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones ended his retirement from UFC simply because he wanted a spot on the “Freedom 250” fight card at the White House in June.

But, when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326 this past weekend, Jones wasn’t among the fighters. As a result, he has requested a release from his UFC contract.

White was candid when asked about Jones following the UFC 326 card.

Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images))

“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousands times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White explained, per CBS Sports. “Some guy with Meta Glasses filmed him talking about his hips – that his hips are so bad. And I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement.”

White added that “the Jon Jones thing is bulls—,” saying that he texted the fighter’s lawyer saying he would never be on the White House card despite Jones saying he was in negotiations for it.

UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT

The Meta Glasses incident White is referring to came from a viral video, where Jones, unaware he was being filmed, discussed issues with his hips to a fan.

On Monday, Jones composed a thorough response to White’s comments about him and the White House Card. He previously posted and deleted social media explanations, but Monday’s appeared to be his final statement on the matter.

UFC President Dana White speaks after UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center on Feb. 21, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

“Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Jones, who retired a heavyweight champion in 2025, said. “So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense. I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready.

“I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defenses, the fights, hearing that I’m ‘done’ is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number.”

Jones finished his statement by saying he “respectfully” asks to be released from his UFC contract.

Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up,” he wrote.

The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

Jones is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time, owning a 28-1-1 record, which includes his last bout with Stipe Miocic, knocking him out to take the heavyweight title belt. He is also a two-time light heavyweight champion.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.