France knock out Argentina as Mateta wins Olympic football grudge match | Paris Olympic Games 2024


If France had a point to make it was hammered home resoundingly and lapped up joyfully by a raucous audience who got what they came for. They had wanted to see an Argentina side put in their place and it was fitting, given the racism storm that had raged around this quarter-final, to see Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early goal secure a victory laden with meaning.

Mateta, whose father was born in Democratic Republic of the Congo, is as French as anybody. So, too, the rest of a team that covered every blade of grass on an evening whose tension ramped up in an edgy closing spell.

Earlier in the day, a version of this fixture had been contested on the handball court in Paris. While not at football’s level as a magnifier of wider concerns, handball is big in France: the Karabatic brothers, Nikola and Luka, are national icons and a fluent, multi-ethnic men’s team are reigning Olympic champions. It was little surprise to hear a ripple of boos when Argentina’s names were read out.

Perhaps it was no shock, either, that the public address announcer sought to dampen any enmity in a deliberately family atmosphere. “Handball is not the sport to boo, handball is a fair sport,” he preached. “So make some noise for Argentina, come on!” Enough of the crowd obliged, mutedly and dutifully. There was little to aggravate them further, France running away with a 28-21 win.

Nine hours later and 300 miles to the south-west, the reception for France’s visitors was rather less qualified. This tie would not have been possible until the final had Argentina not finished second in Group B; it was a flashpoint the organisers could have done without, given Olympic men’s football is usually best left to its own low-profile devices.

The jeers were unrestrained when Argentina emerged to warm up; even more so upon the recital of their starting XI. Julián Álvarez and Nicolás Otamendi, two of their representatives from the Copa América-winning squad, received the brunt of the anger. The song sung by several of Argentina’s senior selection last month, singling out France’s players of African heritage, sparked an international incident and justifiable hurt throughout a country whose diversity is a superpower.

What a moment it was, then, when Mateta struck that resounding early blow. Argentina’s anthem had, to a large extent, been drowned out by whistles while a near-capacity attendance roared France out with obvious feeling. The home players tore into their opponents; Michael Olise was at the heart of everything, simply too sharp for those trying to keep pace. In the fifth minute he won a corner on the right and, flighting it into the box himself, watched his former Crystal Palace teammate time a perfect run and header across Gerónimo Rulli.

Jean-Philippe Mateta rises high to head France into an early lead. Photograph: Stéphane Mahé/Reuters

Before kick-off the local support had swayed along to Non, je ne regrette rien. Perhaps Argentina could rue the fact their hosts’ eyes were ablaze, Enzo Millot narrowly failed to squeeze home before Rulli, the third Copa survivor, then parried from Mateta at close quarters. There were occasional flecks of bad blood, Otemendi and Mateta twice exchanging words while Kevin Zenón left Millot in a heap.

By the interval Argentina had dialled in and should have been level, Ezequiel Fernández drawing a flying save from Guillaume Restes and Giuliano Simeone heading over from point-blank range.

There were other subplots here, not least the cajoling touchline figures of Thierry Henry and Javier Mascherano. Their high-profile presences are almost jarring in a traditionally ragtag competition but for Henry, in particular, some form of success this summer feels essential to perk up a slow-burning coaching career.

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Another old timer, Alexandre Lacazette, can still do a turn on the pitch but put France in trouble by bundling Joaquín García over on the edge of the box soon after half-time. Álvarez could only hit the wall and, as on every occasion Argentina erred, the glee was loud and long.

That was certainly the case when Mascherano, proving old habits die hard, was booked for protesting against a decision; a group of his substitutes, warming up further down the touchline, had already incurred the displeasure of the referee, Ilgiz Tantashev. An undercurrent, whether simply the product of a grand old rivalry or anything deeper, was somewhere beneath the surface.

The football itself was hardly coming to the boil. France’s early incision had long diminished as the hour mark passed and Argentina, probing but largely sluggish, could only point to one wild Álvarez effort. A Mexican wave around the stands spoke of the tenor this occasion had now assumed.

Noise levels soon rose again when Loïc Badé, the France centre-back, muscled Lucas Beltrán off the ball and then leaned over him, clearly mouthing in his direction. This was a game again as the clock ticked down, Olise having a goal chalked off by VAR and France riding out a tumultuous 10 minutes of added time.



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