Man tackled at Paris Olympics for running onto soccer field after US vs Guinea match

A man was arrested at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday after he ran onto the soccer field in a match between the United States and the African country of Guinea, becoming the latest security related incident during Olympic soccer. 

Another incident erupted on the same field during the Morocco vs Argentina match last Wednesday, when Morocco fans protested a last-minute goal by Argentina by storming the field and throwing bottles, the Associated Press reported at the time. The game was suspended for two hours as a result, and the goal was eventually overturned upon review.

The man on Tuesday, who was a fan of Guinea, did not appear to be dangerous but ran toward Guinea forward Aliou Balde at the end of the match, which saw the United States beat the west African team by 3-0. Balde was unhurt in the incident, and gave the man his shirt.

“He say (to) me, ‘I love you and I watch you every game,’” Balde told the AP. “I think he deserved [the arrest] because he come in the pitch. For me it’s nice to do. It is not easy. I gave [the shirt] to him. It’s so nice for him.”

A man holding a Palestinian flag also rushed onto the pitch on Tuesday, during Morocco’s game against Iraq in Nice, France. He was also successfully removed by police.

The U.S. match signaled the end of the Olympics for Guinea, but the U.S. will advance to the quarterfinals where they are expected to face Morocco on Friday. The victory marks the first time the U.S. men's soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals since the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.