France 4-3 Argentina: World Cup highlights and recap

France beat Argentina 4-3 in the first round of 16 match of the World Cup on Saturday, June 30. Here are all the highlights from the match.

Kylian Mbappe was already a big name heading into this tournament, but his performance against Argentina in the round of 16, when he scored twice to become the first teenager since Michael Owen in 1998 to score in multiple World Cup matches, may yet elevate him to an even higher level of stardom.

Jorge Sampaoli lined up with Lionel Messi as a false 9, a strange move considering his side played their best game of the tournament with Gonzalo Higuain up front in the last match, and, ultimately, it was an unsuccessful one. As Messi dropped deep, the Albiceleste were left with no one up front, and their attacks routinely broke down in the final third.

France looked extremely dangerous on the break in these situations, with Mbappe simply too fast for the Argentine defense to cope with. After several dangerous moves, Mbappe won the penalty from which France took the lead in the 11th minute, winning the ball in his own half, before running 60 yards and drawing a foul from Marcos Rojo.

Another Mbappe run 10 minutes later led to a free-kick at the top of the box that Paul Pogba blazed over. Despite having scored only once, France looked in total control, absorbing Argentina’s somewhat directionless possession with ease while continuing to pose a threat on the counter-attack.

It seemed the only route back into the game for Jorge Sampaoli’s side was a moment of magic from Messi. They got their moment, but it wasn’t Messi who provided it. Angel Di Maria picked the ball out unmarked from 30 yards and lashed in a powerful, swerving left-footed strike into the side-netting to draw the game level.

Argentina took the lead shortly after halftime, Gabriel Mercado redirecting Messi’s shot past a wrong-footed Hugo Lloris, but France got a wonder goal of their own to level the game, right-back Benjamin Pavard hitting a wonderful first-time shot into the top corner after Lucas Hernandez’s cross eluded everyone in the box.

Argentina’s inability to clear crosses proved costly again in the 64th minute, when Mbappe gave France the lead. When the ball was deflected to the 19-year-old following a Blaise Matuidi header, he took one touch out of his feet before drilling past Franco Armani, who could perhaps have done better.

Mbappe got his second only four minutes later, finish offer a lovely team move with a first-time shot into the bottom corner. The goal was in many ways a perfect summation of the match, with Argentina’s defense and midfield completely helpless in the face of France’s pace on the counter-attack.

There was still time late on for Sergio Aguero to get a goal back, heading in from close range after a superb pass from Messi, but two minutes into second-half stoppage time, it was nothing more than a consolation. This may well be the last we see of Messi in the World Cup, but Mbappe showed the future is bright.

Next: History could be on Russia’s side as round of 16 looms

Highlights

https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1013070811874246656

https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1013077105788182528

https://twitter.com/FOXSoccer/status/1013079433823965187

France will play the winner of Uruguay-Portugal in the quarterfinals.