PARIS OLYMPICS: What you need to know right now

PARIS : Chaos descended on Argentina's opening men's soccer match and a spying scandal engulfed the women's soccer tournament in an inauspicious opening day of sport at the Paris Olympics.

Here's what you need to know about the Paris Games on Thursday, the day before the Opening Ceremony.

SOCCER "CIRCUS"

Argentina soccer coach Javier Mascherano slammed the chaotic conclusion of his side's opening game against Morocco, branding it "the biggest circus I've ever seen in my life."

Argentina thought it had salvaged a draw deep into additional time before the goal was dramatically ruled out for offside by the VAR and a pitch invasion forced play to be suspended for nearly two hours.

"What happened on the pitch was a scandal, it's not a neighbourhood tournament, it's the Olympics," Mascherano told reporters.

'DRONEGATE'

Women's soccer was reeling after New Zealand said their Canadian rivals had flown a drone over a training session, engulfing the tournament in a spying scandal. 

Global soccer's governing body FIFA began disciplinary proceedings and Canada Soccer said it would launch an independent review, as coach Bev Priestman stepped down from opening match duties.

Priestman apologised and said the buck stopped with her. 

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell told FIFA on Thursday to take urgent action to address it. 

ANTI-DOPING WARS

Relations between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) have taken another turn for the worse over a long running dispute concerning the global body's handling of a case involving 23 Chinese swimmers.

WADA told Reuters it was taking USADA to the Independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) next month, a move that could jeopardise the United States' hosting the 2028