French media outlet Foot Mercato reported on March 26 (Korea time) that the appeals court dismissed all of Morocco’s requests related to the tournament. At the heart of the controversy was whether the 2025 tournament winner’s prize money and individual players’ medals should be returned—a challenge that would have effectively questioned the official results.
The court’s decision was straightforward: the original judgment was upheld, and the appeals process did not alter the outcome. Senegal’s football federation, which had defended the validity of the tournament results, saw its position reaffirmed. Attorney Sédou Diagne confirmed, “Both of Morocco's requests, namely the return of the winner's prize money and the return of individual medals, were not accepted.” All key points raised by Morocco were rejected.
Observers note that the case extended far beyond a financial dispute. The symbolic nature of Morocco’s claims was clear: demanding the return of prize money was, in effect, a challenge to the tournament’s official outcome, while requesting individual medals carried personal implications for players.
The appeals court ruling, however, provided clarity. By upholding the existing decision, it affirmed both the legitimacy of the tournament results and the associated compensation structure. This signals that, at least administratively, the matter has reached a resolution, though Morocco could still pursue further action, practical reversal appears unlikely.
Ultimately, the dispute highlighted tensions between procedural challenges and recognition of established results. Morocco contested the legitimacy of the ruling and the handling of the tournament, while Senegal maintained that the outcome was valid. The court sided with the latter, reinforcing the authority of the tournament organizers and the federation.
Though the controversy unfolded largely off the pitch, its implications were significant, testing not just financial claims but the credibility, governance, and irreversibility of major continental football competitions.