This is the only page in this section where the result depends on when you ask. It is written on 24 August 2026, and the position below is the position as of that date.
What happened on the pitch
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in the final in Rabat on 18 January 2026, per Al Jazeera and Olympics.com.
Late in the match Morocco were awarded a penalty. Senegal's players walked off the pitch in protest and play was held up for around fifteen minutes before they returned and the game restarted, per NBC Sports and Al Jazeera. Senegal went on to win it.
What happened afterwards
In March 2026 the Confederation of African Football's appeals board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final by leaving the field. Senegal's 1-0 win became a 3-0 default win for Morocco, and the title went to the hosts, per Euronews, NBC Sports and Al Jazeera. It was recorded as Morocco's first continental title since 1976.
Senegal appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS registered the appeal and has listed a hearing for 8 October 2026, behind closed doors in Lausanne, per the Court of Arbitration for Sport's own media release and Al Jazeera. Senegal paraded the trophy anyway and added a second star to their shirt, per ESPN.
What is not true
A document claiming CAS had revoked Morocco's title circulated in July 2026. It was fake, and CAS has issued no ruling in this case, per Morocco World News and the absence of any decision in the CAS record. Anyone telling you this is settled, in either direction, is ahead of the evidence.
Why it mattered
A continental final was decided by a penalty award, a walk-off, a committee and, eventually, a court in Switzerland. Both federations believe they are the wronged party and both have a case that is not obviously frivolous. The archive's job here is to hold the two facts together: Senegal won the match, and Morocco hold the title.
Sources: Al Jazeera, 18 March and 26 March 2026, and 24 July 2026; Euronews, 18 March 2026; NBC Sports, March 2026; ESPN on Senegal's trophy parade; Court of Arbitration for Sport media release registering the appeal; Morocco World News, July 2026, on the fake verdict.