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Record 8.6 Million Tickets Sold for Paris Olympics

Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
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Record 8.6 Million Tickets Sold for Paris Olympics

Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP

The Paris Olympics already has one gold medal in the bag before it begins with 8.6 million tickets sold -- a record for any Games.

"It's a record held by the 1996 Atlanta Games of 8.3 million tickets, and we've already passed that total now some time ago," the 2024 Games organizer Tony Estanguet told AFP on Thursday.

"We are at 8.6 million tickets for the Olympics, and over one million for the Paralympics," he reported.

Paris organizers forecast that total rising to 10 million for the July 26-August 11 sporting extravaganza, and 3.4 million for the Paralympics staged between August 28 and September 8.

"The good news is that in this final stretch we are making available a number of tickets for lots of sports," Estanguet said.

"There are lots of really good options at different prices both for the Olympics, Paralympics, and opening and closing ceremonies."

He added: "We are proud to have already beaten the record, but we can still do even better."

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Argentina Shakes off Chaos of Morocco Game by Beating Iraq 3-1

Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)
Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)
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Argentina Shakes off Chaos of Morocco Game by Beating Iraq 3-1

Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)
Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez celebrates after scoring during the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Iraq at the Lyon stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Decines, France. (AP)

Argentina got its Olympic men's soccer campaign back on track by beating Iraq 3-1 on Saturday in Lyon.

Argentina, one of the pre-tournament favorites, suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Morocco in its Group B opening game marred by a pitch invasion from Moroccan fans and a two-hour delay.

While Iraq threatened to pull off another surprise when Aymen Hussein leveled the game in first-half stoppage time, goals from Luciano Gondou and Ignacio Fernandez sealed victory for Argentina.

Thiago Almada, who Argentina coach Javier Mascherano said had a watch stolen when the team's training base was robbed earlier this week, opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th minute at Stade de Lyon.

But Hussein's header in the fifth minute of first half-time added time evened the game before the break.

Gondou's far-post header in the 62nd restored Argentina's lead and Fernandez curled in a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 85th.

The win leaves Argentina level with Iraq and Morocco on three points. Morocco was playing Ukraine in a later kick off.

Spain advances Spain reached the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Bordeaux.

Goals from Fermín Lopez, Alex Baena and Miguel Gutierrez made it two wins from two for Spain in Group C.

Lopez — one of Barcelona’s rising stars — scored in the 24th, but Angel Montes de Oca evened the game in the 38th.

Baena restored Spain’s lead in the 55th and Gutierrez sealed it in the 70th.

Spain’s men are aiming to add to a golden period for its nation’s soccer teams after the women’s team won the World Cup last year and the men won the European Championship earlier this month.