The last time Argentina and France faced off in a major international soccer tournament, it was a World Cup final that captivated over 1.5 billion viewers. The match in Qatar saw Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé as the star players, with Mbappé scoring a hat trick and Messi scoring twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw that Argentina eventually won in a penalty shootout.
Fast forward to the present, and Argentina and France are set to meet again, this time in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics. However, there are some notable differences this time around. The Olympic soccer competition is limited to players aged 23 and younger, with three overage exceptions allowed for each team. This means that Messi and Mbappé won’t be taking the field for their respective countries in this matchup.
While Messi and Mbappé won’t be playing, there are still familiar faces from the 2022 World Cup final participating in the Olympics. Players like Nicolas Otamendi, Thiago Almada, and Julián Álvarez from Argentina’s World Cup-winning team are representing their country in France. Almada, who currently plays for Atlanta United, scored a memorable goal in Argentina’s group stage match against Ukraine earlier in the tournament.
In terms of Olympic history, Argentina has won back-to-back gold medals in 2004 and 2008, with Messi leading the team to victory in the latter. France, on the other hand, claimed their only Olympic soccer title 40 years ago at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
Heading into the quarterfinal matchup, France is considered the favorite, led by coach and 1998 World Cup champion Thierry Henry. The team has been dominant in group play, winning all three games, including a 3-0 victory over the United States. Argentina, on the other hand, suffered an upset loss to Morocco in their opening match.
The winner of the Argentina vs. France clash will advance to the semifinals to face either Egypt or Paraguay. The stage is set for an exciting showdown between two powerhouse soccer nations, even without the presence of Messi and Mbappé on the field.