The quarter-final between Morocco and France at the U20 World Cup drew global attention—not only for its dramatic penalty shootout, but also for a groundbreaking innovation that could reshape football.

Morocco’s coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, became the first coach ever to use the “purple card”, a new tool allowing coaches to challenge a referee’s decision and request a video review through the Football Video Support (FVS) system.

The incident occurred in the 72nd minute, when a Moroccan forward was brought down inside France’s penalty area. Referee Gustavo Tejera allowed play to continue, but Ouahbi contested the call, demanding a video review.

Although Tejera upheld his original decision after reviewing the footage, the moment was historic — it marked the first official use of the FVS “purple card” in a global tournament.

On the field, Morocco celebrated a stunning victory over favorites France, with third-choice goalkeeper Abdelhakim El Mesbahi emerging as the hero in the penalty shootout. A striking detail: his water bottle featured a printed chart showing the likely shooting directions of the French players.

According to FIFA, the FVS system does not replace VAR but offers a more accessible alternative for tournaments with limited resources. Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee, stated that the system’s goal is “to make technology accessible to smaller leagues, enhancing fairness and transparency in the game.”

Morocco now advances to the U20 World Cup final, where they will face Argentina on October 19.