CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s king on Saturday granted an official pardon to 18 Senegalese soccer fans jailed over hooliganism linked to a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final that saw supporters attempt to storm the field, the Royal Cabinet said.
The 18 Senegalese fans were sentenced in February to prison terms of up to a year on charges including damaging sporting facilities and committing violence during a sporting event. Some have already completed their sentences.
“Given the long-standing fraternal ties between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Senegal, and on the occasion of (Muslim holiday) Eid al-Adha, King Mohammed VI has graciously granted, for humanitarian reasons, his royal pardon to Senegalese supporters convicted of offenses committed during Africa Cup of Nations competitions,” the Royal Cabinet said in a statement.
During the final game of the tournament in January, Senegalese fans attempted to storm the field and Senegalese players walked off in protest over a late penalty awarded to host Morocco.
Senegal eventually won the game 1-0 and lifted the trophy, but in an unprecedented series of events, the Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the title and declared Morocco the champion. Senegal later said it had appealed the decision.
The final and its aftermath prompted senior officials in both countries to call for calm during a surge in what rights groups in Morocco described as “hate speech targeting sub-Saharan residents.” The leaders of Morocco and Senegal pledged to maintain friendly ties and signed dozens of agreements aimed at boosting trade and investment.
FILE - Senegal supporters clash with security services after a controversial penalty was awarded to Morocco late on during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Youssef Loulidi, File)
FILE - Morocco's King Mohammed VI arrives at the Elysee Palace to meet France's President Francois Hollande in Paris, May 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set drama about political polarization “Fjord” has won the Palme d’Or, handing the Cannes Film Festival’s top honor for the second time to Mungiu, the Romanian director of “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.”
At a 79th Cannes Film Festival that saw few films breakout, “Fjord” found wide admiration for its engrossing tale of what Mungiu called “left-wing fundamentalism.” It stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as Romanian Evangelicals who move to Norway, but soon after have their children taken from them by child services for spanking them.
Mungiu becomes just the 10th filmmaker to win the Palme d’Or twice. His “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” a Romanian abortion drama, won the award in 2007.
The win for “Fjord” extends one of the movies’ most extraordinary streaks. Neon, the specialty label, has now taken seven Palme d’Or winners in a row. “Fjord” adds to its unparalleled run, including last year’s champion, Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident,” and the 2024 winner, “Anora.” The latter went on to win best picture at the Oscars.
The Grand Prix, or second prize, went to “Minotaur,” Andrey Zvyagintsev’s domestic thriller set against Russia’s war with Ukraine. Loosely based on Claude Chabrol’s 1969 film “The Unfaithful Wife,” “Minotaur” is about a Russian businessman suspicious of his wife’s indiscretions. At the same time, he’s tasked with conscripting 150 of his workers for Vladimir Putin’s war machine.
By wide consensus, it wasn’t a banner festival. Hollywood largely sat out this year’s edition. Many of the selections struggled to bowl over critics. The global buzz that Cannes typically generates was fitful at best.
But the awards handed out Saturday as the 79th Cannes drew to a close will significantly raise the international profiles fo the winners. Last year's Cannes produced a long string of Oscar nominees, including “Sentimental Value" and “The Secret Agent.”
The nine-member jury that decided the awards was headed by Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård were also jurors.
Two films won for best director: the Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski, for his postwar drama “Fatherland”; and the Spanish creative duo Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo for “The Black Ball,” a generation-spanning queer epic “The Black Ball.”
Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, the two stars of Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden” shared the best actress award. In the elegantly empathetic drama, the two play women brought together in friendship out of their mutual sense of care for others.
The jury also split the best actor prize. They chose Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, the two stars of “ Coward,” Lukas Dhont’s drama about young Belgian men sent to the frontlines of World War II.
The prize for best screenplay was awarded to Emmanuel Marre for “A Man of His Time,” a French drama about a Nazi collaborator in Vichy France. Marre based it on the experiences of his own great-grandfather.
The jury prize, or third place, went to German filmmaker Valeska Grisebach’s “The Dreamed Adventure,” a crime drama set in a Bulgarian border town.
Saturday’s ceremony was missing its tribute honoree. Barbra Streisand was to receive an honorary Palme d’Or, but a knee injury prevented her from attending. Isabelle Huppert still celebrated Streisand during the ceremony, and Streisand appeared in a taped video message.
The Camera d’Or, Cannes’ award for best first film, went to Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo’ post-genocide drama “Ben’Imana,” the first Rwandian film to be officially selected for the festival.
Cristian Mungiu accepts the Palme d'Or for 'Fjord' during the awards ceremony at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
Adam Driver, from left, director James Gray and Miles Teller pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Paper Tiger' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
Sebastian Stan, from left, director Cristian Mungiu and Renate Reinsve pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Fjord' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)
Tao Okamoto, from left, director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Virginie Efira pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'All of a Sudden' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Iris Lebedeva, director Andrey Zvyagintsev and Dmitriy Mazurov pose for photographers at the photo call for the film Minotaur' at the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (Photo by Millie Turner/Invision/AP)
Director Paweł Pawlikowski poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Fatherland' during the 79th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
