2024 Olympics: France cruises past U.S. 3-0 in men's soccer; Morocco fans protest late goal vs. Argentina

Even though Israel surrendered a second-half equalizer, it should consider itself the more fortunate side to come away with a point.

Mali had more shots on goals and corner kicks, 8-2 and 9-1, respectively, and maintained about two-thirds of possession.

Group D play continues Saturday with Israel taking on Paraguay back here at Parc des Princes, while Mali faces Japan in Bordeaux.

France added to its lead late in the second half against the U.S. A header by Loïc Badé in the 85th minute gave the hosts a 3-0 cushion. The goal came from a corner kick.

France struck first in its opening group stage match vs. the U.S. Then, for good measure, the hosts doubled their lead.

After dominating possession in the first 45 minutes, France finally broke through in the second. French captain Alexandre Lacazette uncorked a shot from outside the box that beat U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to the back left corner of the net to give France a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute.

Then, from a similar spot in the 69th minute, Michael Olise — off a pass by Lacazette — scored, once again hitting the back left corner after a slight deflection off a U.S. defender.

A header by Cheickna Doumbia in the 63rd minute tied it, sending Parc des Princes into a frenzy.

Doumbia soared high in the air to knock home the equalizer off a cross by Thiemoko Diarra.

Israel finally broke through in the 56th minute as a wild scramble in front of the Mali net ended in an own goal by Hamidou Diallo.

Mali has been on the front foot through most of the match, but Les Aigles will not have to search for the equalizer.

PARIS — The halftime whistle blew with no team breaking through; however, Mali forced more action here at Parc des Princes.

Mali won the battle of shots on goal and corner kicks, 3-0 and 5-0 respectively, while maintaining about two-thirds of possession. But it couldn't beat Israeli goalkeeper Omer Niron in the first 45 minutes.

The U.S. and France entered halftime of their first group stage match scoreless.

France dominated much of the initial 45 minutes, controlling possession, attempting more shots and shooting five corners (to the U.S.’ one.)

France nearly took the lead late in the first half when a left-footed shot by Jean-Philippe Mateta just barely missed the right post. The U.S.’ best opportunity came in the 38th minute, when a shot by Paxten Aaronson was saved in the middle of the net.

The attempt came not long after a foul by the U.S.’ Kevin Paredes drew a yellow card in the 37th minute. It was among many miscues by USA, who were also caught offside three times.

Both countries are being represented by their U23 squads in Paris. The U.S. men are playing in the Olympics for the first time since 2008 in Beijing.

Even though Israel and Mali don't figure to medal in men's soccer, the atmosphere inside Parc des Princes was electric in the opening moments of this group match.

Loud chants of "Ma-li" and "Is-ra-el" broke out in opening possessions in Paris, home to sizable Malian and Jewish communities.

Fans decked out in Mali's bright green, gold and red and Israel's blue and white were boisterous from the start.

USA vs. France men's soccer has kicked off in Paris. Here's the full USMNT roster:

Iraq's Ali Jasim dribbled past several Ukraine defenders, sliding a perfectly placed kick on the edge of the box past the keeper in the 75th minute. Iraq now leads 2-1.

Israeli soccer fans weren't hard to spot as they entered Parc des Princes ahead of their team's match against Mali.

"We are here to support Israel so it's time to to wear the flag," said 41-year-old Paris engineer David Gill, one of many supporters wearing an Israeli flag as a cape. "We're in the stadium, there are police and security so I don't have to be afraid to have my flag."

Yuval Israeli, as 23-year-old who works for a tech startup near Tel Aviv, said he felt perfectly safe wearing his Star of David flag on the grounds knowing there's such heavy security.

Asked if he'd keep his cape on after the match on public transit, his answer had little to do with politics or war: "Depends if we win."

Japan's Shunsuke Mito scored his second goal of the game, heading past the goalkeeper in the 63rd minute. Minutes later, Koki Saito found teammate Yamamoto Rihito on the edge of the box, scoring a left footed goal into the edge of the net.

Iraq's captain Aymen Hussein scored a penalty to tie their men's soccer match against Ukraine 1-1 in the 57th minute. A penalty was rewarded after a shove in the box.

Cry for me Argentina! Cristian Medina's header goal in the 16th minute of stoppage time that brought the Latin American nation to a 2-2 tie with Morocco was too good to be true.

Moroccan fans invaded the field to protest the late goal, turning the stadium into chaos. The game was suspended for nearly two hours. 

The match later resumed with only three minutes left on the clock at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard with no fans in attendance. After a VAR review, the ref disallowed Medina's equalizer for being offside.

The final result was Morocco 2, Argentina 1.

Eldor Shomurodov scored a penalty against Spain for Uzbekistan's first ever goal in a major soccer tournament during their opening match of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

A penalty was awarded by the referee after contact from several Spanish players in the box.

Uzbekistan lost the match, however, 2-1. Their next match is against Egypt on Saturday.

Japan's men's soccer team scored the opening goal in its first match of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the 19th minute, left-back Ayumu Ohata found his teammate Shunsuke Mito in the box, who slid it past the goalkeeper.

However, just minutes later, Paraguay's Wilder Viera made contact with Japan's Yu Hirakawa's ankle. A VAR review led to Viera being sent off as Paraguay are now down to 10 men.

New Zealand won its first men's soccer game with a 2-1 result over Guinea. Although New Zealand missed its first scoring opportunity after a penalty was awarded for an improper sliding tackle, it later scored in the 25th minute courtesy of Matthew Garbett to go ahead 1-0.

In the second half, Guinea equalized with a goal from outside the box by Amadou Diawara in the 72nd minute. However, four minutes later, New Zealand's Ben Waine made a darting run toward the goalkeeper, tapping in what became the game-winning goal at 2-1.

New Zealand faces the United States in its next match Saturday.

This year's flag bearers for Team USA, Coco Gauff and LeBron James, will become the second duo to do so after baseball star Eddy Alvarez and basketball player Sue Bird carried the flag in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Tokyo Olympics were the first to allow one male and one female flag bearer for the opening ceremony.

Swimming legend Michael Phelps carried the Stars and Stripes in 2016 in Rio, following in the footsteps of fencer Mariel Zagunis, who, four years earlier, did so in London.

A man arrested in France on Tuesday and accused of plotting a terror attack may have targeted the 2024 Olympic Games, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said. Darmanin was speaking to French news station BFMTV and did not provide any further details.

The 18-year-old man was arrested in the Gironde region in southwest France on Tuesday, charged with preparing an act of terrorism, a source at the National Counterterrorism Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed to NBC News.

"We think it's connected to plans for a violent act against the Olympic Games," Darmanin said.

France’s Interior Ministry did not respond to an NBC News request for comment. 

Italy's Jannik Sinner, the world's No. 1 tennis player, has announced he has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics after contracting tonsillitis.

In a post on X, Sinner said: "I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games."

"After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell," Sinner wrote. "I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing."

"Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season. I couldn’t wait to have the honor of representing my country in this very important event," he said.

Sinner's withdrawal means Novak Djokovic, for whom an Olympic gold medal is the only major prize missing from his illustrious career, will now be the No. 1 seed in Paris. He now cannot meet second seed Carlos Alcaraz, who beat him in the final of Wimbledon earlier this month, until the medal matches.

The Australian Open champion's withdrawal is a big blow to the Paris tennis competition. With no ranking points nor prize money on the line and a looming switch to hard courts for the U.S. Open, several high-profile players, including Americans Ben Shelton, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, have opted out of competing.

In an unbelievable display of last-second heroics, Argentina's Cristian Medina clinched a goal with a header in the 16th minute of stoppage time.

It was an extraordinary play — with at least four back-to-back Argentine attempts, two bouncing off the bar, to make it past goalie Munir El Kajoui — and was met with raucous cheers from the crowd.

Argentina and Morocco finish their match tied 2-2.

A massive sigh of relief for Spain.

Sergio Gómez's tie-breaking goal in the 62nd minute proved decisive as Spain held off the determined underdogs from Uzbekistan.

Both teams walk away from the match with two points. Team USA will play later this afternoon against Fiji at 2:30 p.m. ET. The match will air on USA Network and Peacock.

Moroccan fans are booing and whistling at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard as they clamor for the final whistle call.

Morocco still leads 2-1, now about seven minutes into overtime, as the two teams fiercely battle for one more goal.

Morocco's Benjamin Bouchouari made it to the Argentine goal box, but sent his shot flying over the post.

Team USA's Marcus Tupuola  takes a flick from the right side and scores! Team USA ties France at 12-12 with just seconds remaining in the 2nd half.

Khusniddin Alikulov's free kick from just outside the box sailed a few tantalizing inches over the cross bar in the 83rd minute as Spain held on to a 2-1 lead over Uzbekistan.

The underdogs are pushing nearly everyone forward in a desperate bid to equalize in these closing minutes.

The coach of the Canadian women’s soccer team, Bev Priestman, has apologized to the New Zealand team after a support member of her team used a drone to film their opponents during a training session in Saint-Etienne on Monday.

Priestman has withdrawn from coaching Canada’s opening game in Group A against New Zealand on Thursday. “In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld," Priestman said in a statement.

France's Rayan Rebbadj scores in the 2nd half as they take a 12-7 lead over Team USA in Rugby match.

Underdog Uzbekistan will not go away, but the determined squad is running out of time to find an equalizer.

With the Parc de Princes crowd roaring through its first "wave" of the match, Eldor Shomurodov's left-foot shot from the left side of the box rolled just wide of Spain's goal in the 73rd minute.

Team USA's Lucas Lacamp successfully breaks free, running in to score 7 points. USA now leads 7-5 over France.

France's Jordan Sepho put France on the board, taking his team to a 5-0 lead against Team USA.

Giuliano Simeone slammed the ball into Morocco's goal from close range following an assist from Julio Soler. 

Morocco still leads 2-1.

Sergio Gomez scored a goal in the 62nd minute to give Spain a 2-1 lead, moments after he was stopped from the same spot.

Three minutes prior, Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov electrified the Parc des Princes crowd by stopping Gomez's penalty kick.

Nematov dove to his left and Gomez's kick down the middle found the goalkeeper's feet.

In Wednesday’s Olympic curtain-raiser at the Stade de France, Team USA’s Rugby Sevens team goes up against France and its global superstar Antoine Dupont — the Simone Biles of rugby, if you will.

Dupont is widely considered the best rugby player in the world when he plays the full version of the game, which has 15 players on each team.

It’s not the first time the two countries have faced each other in rugby in the Olympics. In fact, the U.S. is the reigning 15-a-side rugby Olympic champions.

Fifteen-a-side rugby was featured in the Olympics the last time Paris hosted the games, in 1924, with the final pitting USA — whose team was made up of California college students — against favored France.

Mere minutes after returning from halftime, Soufiane Rahimi scored once again for Morocco in a penalty shot, shooting the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Morocco now leads Argentina, 2-0.

Halftime whistles have blown in Paris and Saint Etienne as two upsets could be developing.

Spain and the big underdogs, Uzbekistan, are tied, 1-1. Fans in blue, white and green are happier than the supporters of the red and yellow as Uzbekistan scored a late equalizer.

The Spain-Uzbekistan match can be seen on Peacock.

Morocco leads favored Argentina, 1-0, in action that can be watched on USA.

With the anticipation building for the Olympic Games and more athletes settling in, NBC’s Keir Simmons reports from Paris with a roundup of all the latest news including Coco Gauff being selected as flag bearer and Salma Hayek carrying the Olympic torch at the Palace of Versailles. “It’s better than an Oscar!”

Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi scored a goal just before half time in their faceoff against Argentina at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.

Argentina, considered the best soccer team in the world, winning the Copa América earlier this month and the 2022 World Cup, have another half to bring back the heat. Morocco leads 1-0.

Eldor Shomurodov converted a penalty in extra time of the first half, giving his underdog side a big dose of momentum headed into the intermission. The match is now tied 1-1.

Spain’s Marc Pubill scored the tournament’s first goal, giving his side a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.

Spain has, unsurprisingly, dominated play, holding possession for about two-thirds of this 40-minute-old match so far.

Men’s Rugby Sevens are one of the first events to get underway today at the Paris Games. Australia plays Samoa in the first game at 9:30 a.m. ET, before Team USA takes on hosts France at 10:30 a.m. ET and Tokyo gold-medalists Fiji at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The sport, which originated in Scotland, is a variant of rugby union — one of the sports in which football has its roots. The main difference is that while regular Rugby Union is played with 15-player teams over 40-minute halves, sevens has seven-player teams playing seven-minute halves.

The Olympic men's and women's sevens tournaments feature 12 teams each. The variant made its debut at the 2016 Rio Games after a 92-year-long absence of any Games rugby, after the full-size version was discontinued following the violence that occurred at the last Paris Games a hundred years ago.

Fiji’s men's team and New Zealand’s women's team won gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Games. The tournaments are set to run from July 24-30. The men’s final, scheduled for July 27, will be the first event to award a team sport gold medal at the Games this year.

About 15 minutes into the opening soccer match between Spain and Uzbekistan, the stands here at Parc des Princes are about two-thirds filled.

Fans are spread throughout every corner of the stadium, so it would appear nearly all tickets are spoken for, but some are taking their time to get here.

No score.

Let the Games begin!

It's 3 p.m. local time and the Paris Olympic Games are getting underway with men's soccer. In two simultaneous games, Euro 2024 winners Spain take on Uzbekistan at Paris' Parc des Princes, while 250 miles away in Saint-Étienne, Copa America champions Argentina face Morocco.

While the men’s soccer tournament has an under-23 age requirement, Argentina is expected to field a few of its senior players who lifted the Copa America Cup earlier this month. Julián Álvarez is in the squad, as is Nicolás Otamendi. Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi may feature for Morocco too.

Eagle-eyed readers might point out that the opening ceremony doesn't take place until Friday and ask why there's soccer happening today. Fortunately, Benjamin Ceugnart, Competitions Calendar Project Manager at Paris 2024, explains on the Games' official site.

"Since the Barcelona 1992 Games, football has started ahead of the opening ceremony," he explains. "What’s more, the players can’t play every day, so they need a recovery period of at least 48 hours."

Coco Gauff said she couldn't hold in her emotions when telling her mom she would be the female flagbearer for Team USA during Friday's Opening Ceremony on the Seine.

Speaking with NBC News' "TODAY," Gauff, who will be the first tennis player to carry the flag, revealed she found out about the honor Tuesday during a photoshoot with her tennis teammates. They were wearing their opening ceremony outfits when teammate Chris Eubanks presented her with her flag bearer jacket.

"I didn’t want to cry in front of my teammates when Chris told me. I was holding it in," Gauff told Craig Melvin. "But when I called my mom, I started crying because I think it’s even more special that so many incredible people ... think that I’m worthy of this. And it means a lot, truly."

A life-long Miami Heat fan, Gauff recalled watching fellow flag bearer LeBron James during his time. While the pair have never met, Gauff revealed she once received social media messages from the basketball icon with words of encouragement. "This is a cool kind of circumstance to be meeting him," Gauff said. "And I guess I'll actually get to know him a little bit"

American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles has been getting in some practice ahead of her first Paris Olympics event scheduled for 3:30 a.m. ET on Sunday July 28th.

Artistic gymnastics events are due to take place from July 27 to August 5. Biles, who is history's most decorated gymnast, called the coming Olympics a "redemption tour" after Team USA was forced to settle for silver in Tokyo.

At the 2020 Games in Japan, the 27-year-old withdrew from the final individual all-around competition, citing mental health consideration. She won four golds at the 2016 Rio Games.

The Games are set to begin in less than an hour, with soccer games in Paris and Saint-Étienne. One of those games features Copa América winners Argentina, but fans may be disappointed by the absence of sporting legend Lionel Messi. Why no Messi?

In an interview with ESPN, Messi said that he was "not at an age to be in everything." Because soccer players have to contend with a crowded calendar, they have to pick and choose which tournaments they can take part in.

The Copa América and the European Championship, two of the game’s most prestigious international tournaments, ended on July 14. Domestic leagues don’t stop for the Olympics, either. The MLS regular season is ongoing and will run through October, while England’s Premier League begins its season on August 16, shortly after the Olympics.

Unlike Messi, though, most male Olympic soccer players are of an age where they can take part. The men’s competition has an under-23 age requirement, with each team allowed three exceptions to that rule. That's why we may see some more recognizable players such as Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi playing for Argentina, and Achraf Hakimi for Morocco.

Last minute preparations for the Olympics opening ceremony are taking place this morning along the Seine, where Coco Gauff and LeBron James will carry the stars and stripes Friday.

Security is tight with police from around the world mixing with units of French soldiers. Sound systems are being tested and live broadcast camera crews are rehearsing.

The man responsible for the Eiffel Tower will have one of the best seats in the house for a history-making Opening Ceremony. From the second floor of the world famous landmark he points out the route.

"The boats will come through the heart of Paris," Eiffel Tower president Jean Francois Martins says, as he looks toward Notre Dame cathedral in the distance. "And they will go all along the River Seine, past the Louvre museum."

Coco Gauff has spoken of her pride after being confirmed as Team USA's female flagbearer for Friday's Olympics opening ceremony.

A big basketball fan, Gauff will carry the flag alongside hoops legend LeBron James during Friday’s procession on the Seine in Paris. The pair are at opposite ends of their sporting careers — when Gauff was born in 2004, James had already played 62 NBA games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, having been drafted a year earlier.

"I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the Opening Ceremony," Gauff said in a Team USA statement. "I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is — at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world."

Gauff was selected in a vote of fellow Team USA athletes and was nominated for the honor by Team USA tennis teammate and close friend Chris Eubanks.

Tennis star Coco Gauff will become Team USA’s youngest athlete ever to carry the flag at an Olympic Games opening ceremony, after being announced as the female flag bearer for Friday’s procession, NBC News first reported.

Gauff, who won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last year, will join basketball legend LeBron James in carrying the stars and stripes as part of the ceremony on the Seine River.

The 20-year-old Floridian native will be making her Olympic debut in Paris. She missed the Tokyo Games in 2021 when she was 17, after testing positive for Covid days before she was due to travel to Japan.

NBC Olympics last week published a letter Gauff wrote to the heartbroken 2021 version of herself.

The IOC awarded the 2034 Winter Games to Salt Lake City, returning to the Utah capital which played host to 2002 Olympics.

The award to Salt Lake City came a short time after the 2030 games were conditionally granted to the French Alps.

Click here to read the full article

Charlotte Dujardin, Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian, has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics after a video emerged showing her allegedly mistreating a horse during a coaching session. The four-year-old video depicts equestrian dressage athlete Dujardin vigorously whipping a horse.

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) said it received a video Monday that filmed during a training session from a lawyer representing "an undisclosed complainant."

In a post on Instagram, Dujardin said "what happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however, there is no excuse." She added: "I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment."

She confirmed her withdrawal "from all competition — including the Paris Olympics" while the FEI investigates the video. "I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors."

Organizers of the 2034 Salt Lake City games pledged to build a first-of-its-kind Olympic Village for families of athletes.

Decorated U.S. ski racer Lindsey Vonn, who is working on athlete experience issues for the 2034 bid, recalled having to worry about all the lodging and travel issues for her loved ones during the Olympics.

"Families matter in every culture," Vonn said.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said her city will greatly benefit from hosting the 2034 games.

"The games are a perfect fit for our future," she said. "Hosting the games aligns seamlessly with the fabric of our communities."

French President Emmanuel Macron and his government ministers have been relentlessly hitting the airwaves and speaking to reporters before Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony.

Their message is simple: France is ready to keep the Paris Olympics safe.

These Games will see the biggest security operation in French history, officials said, with 45,000 police officers and gendarmes on duty Friday and 35,000 working every day after during the competition. Some 18,000 military personnel have been mobilized, as well as specialist military units.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has said that there are no credible threats against the Paris Olympics.

The Salt Lake City Olympics chief Fraser Bullock pitched his site's close spaces as an asset for the 2034 games.

All venues are within an hour of the Olympic Village and most within 30 minutes, according to Bullock, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.

"Our compact games make for a more intimate experience for all the athletes and indeed all stakeholders," Bullock said of his team's bid.

Salt Lake City previously played host to the 2002 games.

The IOC voted, 84-4, to place the Winter Games of 2030 in the French Alps, committee president Thomas Bach said.

There were 95 possible ballots, with seven abstentions and four "no" votes, according to Bach.

This provisional approval hinges on financial guarantees to be made by the prime minister by Oct. 1, which should be ratified by parliament by March 1 of next year, Bach said.

Gene Sykes, chairman of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall are taking the IOC stage to make their final pitch for the 2034 games.

The IOC gave conditional approval for France to host to the 2030 Winter Olympics.

The games will be conducted in the French Alps once the country makes additional financial guarantees, officials said.

"Thank you for the choice you have made today," President Emmanuel Macron.

The IOC is poised to give conditional approval for France to play host of the 2030 Winter Games, providing that more financial guarantees are given.

"We will not counter sign until we receive the games delivery guarantee," said IOC Vice President John Coates this morning.

At least 144 out LGBTQ athletes will be heading to Paris for the 2024 Summer Games, with a record number of out male Olympians participating, according to the LGBTQ sports site OutSports.

In the last Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021, there were at least 186 out competitors, but the list originally started at 121, according to OutSports co-founder Cyd Zeigler, who said the number increased as the sports news site became aware of additional publicly out athletes. 

Zeigler said he anticipates that the number of out athletes on the 2024 list will grow as well. 

Read the full story here.

Stream every moment and every medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock, starting today at 8 a.m. ET.

This summer's Olympics will unfold in more than 30 venues throughout Paris and other cities across France.

Click here to take a tour of some of the venues.

When Simone Biles raises her arms to salute the Olympic judges in Paris this summer, she will be wearing nearly 10,000 hand-placed crystals weighing almost a pound.

Gymnastics leotards are expected to reflect grit and grace, withstand triple-twisting double flips and stand up to the bright spotlight of the Olympic Games.

Much like the intensive training process leading up to the Games, creating show-stopping Olympic leotards is a rigorous and all-consuming undertaking.

Jeanne Diaz, the design director at GK Elite, the official leotard manufacturer for the U.S. Olympic team, began working on the Paris Olympics leotards more than two years ago.

It all started with collecting feedback from the gymnasts in contention.

Read the full story here.