Paris Olympics: Scandal of spying on women's team via drone

French authorities have arrested a member of the Canadian women's soccer team after he was caught using a drone to monitor New Zealand women's team training before their match at the Paris Olympics.

This came according to a statement by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, which stated that the team's staff reported the incident to the police, and the drone operator was arrested and questioned.

The committee confirmed that a member of the Canadian women's team staff used a drone to spy on the training of the New Zealand national team players.

In turn, the Canadian Olympic Committee apologized, saying: "We extend our sincere apologies to New Zealand, all the players involved, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee."

The Canadian Olympic Committee said it had taken action to remove two members of the women's team's technical staff from its Olympic squad, while Priestman, the team's coach, will not be responsible to New Zealand.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) explained in a statement that "the matter will be referred to the disciplinary committee in the coming days."

This is not the first time that a Canadian soccer team has been involved in a drone spying incident.

In 2021, in Toronto, Honduras halted a training session ahead of a men’s World Cup qualifier against Canada after a drone was spotted over the pitch, according to Honduran media reports. Canada’s women’s team opens its Paris Olympic title defence against New Zealand in Group A on Tuesday, before facing hosts France on Sunday.