The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics don’t officially kick off until Friday afternoon EST, but some events have already gotten underway. And so have some technology-related shenanigans.
On Wednesday, a staff member of the Canadian women’s soccer team was caught flying a drone over the practice session of the New Zealand women’s team. The two teams were set to face off on Thursday; the pilot was reportedly trying to spy on New Zealand’s practice and record it. The Canadian Olympic Committee issued a formal apology, and two staffers behind the incident were immediately sent home.
Meanwhile, in the men’s soccer competition, the first game of the tournament, Argentina vs. Morocco, had a goal disqualified by referee tech an hour and a half after the match ended. A late goal by Argentina had the game supposedly ending in a 2-2 draw, and the players and fans left the stadium. However, 90 minutes later the teams had to re-enter the stadium and finish the match because the video assistant referee tech had determined that the play that resulted in Argentina’s final goal had been offside. Argentina head coach Javier Mascherano referred to the incident as a “circus,” per The Athletic.
