Opening ceremonies are still two days away, but competition at the London Olympics kicks off Wednesday with a slate of women's football matches.

In the first game, host Britain takes on underdog New Zealand, which has never won a game in Olympic play.

Later, some of the top teams in the tournament square off, with Japan facing Canada and the top-ranked United States playing France.

Other matches include Cameroon and Brazil, Sweden versus South Africa and Colombia playing South Korea.

The opening ceremony is Friday, and the Olympics run through August 12.

More than 10,000 athletes are competing in 26 sports. Organizers say they have sold nearly nine million tickets for the events.