The 2024 Olympics kick off today with the first games in football and rugby sevens, two days before the official ceremony scheduled for Friday. The anticipation is huge as Paris 2024 has already set a record by selling 8.6 million tickets, the highest ever. The opening events feature two football matches at 3:00 pm CET: Argentina vs. Morocco in Saint-Etienne for Group B, and Uzbekistan vs. Spain in Paris for Group C. Australia-Samoa will open the rugby sevens competition in Paris only half an hour later, at 3.30 pm CET. Fans in the Dominican Republic won't get to watch the country's powerhouse baseball team at the Paris Olympics after the sport was left off the 2024 slate. But the Dominican men's football team will be filling in. The Caribbean nation's debut is bolstered by a roster with several players who have played in European leagues. Most of them will represent the country for the first time in France. "I have a chance to represent my roots, and in the end that is what's in my blood," said Oscar Ureña, born in Spain to Dominican parents. "They are very happy and proud of me for going." The Dominican team, known as "Sedofútbol," hired Spaniard Ibai Gomez last February. Gomez, who played for nine professional teams, including Athletic de Bilbao and Alaves, retired in November 2022 and began his coaching career with Santutxu in Spain a year ago. "The truth is that I was surprised by the call. I played for 14 years, but my career as a coach is just starting," said Gomez. France will get their medal campaign underway in rugby sevens, when they take on the United States in their first Pool B game. Stade de France will be at capacity and most of the attention will be on star Antoine Dupont when the French kick off in the third game of a three-day men's tournament. It'll be the same on Day 2 when the French meet two-time Olympic champion Fiji, the most formidable force in rugby's condensed sevens format. The US men face France and Fiji on Wednesday, giving them a unique view of a pair of title favorites. "When we get in that environment, besides maybe 14 players, give or take 50 friends and family coming in supporting us, the staff and the people watching on TV, we know it's going to be us versus 69,000 people," US captain Kevon Williams said. "We're OK with that, we've been preparing for that, we've honed in and said, 'It's just us.' "All we'll see is the French jersey, so we'll be ready." France hosted the Rugby World Cup last year and the national team again failed to lift the title. They have been the finalists three times at the sport's biggest tournament. With the undisputed star of the 15-a-side game joining its ranks, France has peaked in the rugby sevens format in 2024. Dupont helped the French win a spot in the World Series for the first time in 19 years, and then capped it with a victory in the series finale in Madrid. — Euronews
