France secured a place in the men’s soccer semifinals at the Paris Olympics with a 1-0 victory over Argentina on Friday in Bordeaux. The match was marked by a hostile home crowd and ended with a post-game altercation between players.
Striker Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the winning goal in the fifth minute, heading home to give coach Thierry Henry’s team the advantage. France will now face Egypt in the semifinal as they pursue their second Olympic title, having previously won gold in 1984.
The game was played in a tense atmosphere, with Argentina facing hostility from the French crowd:
– Argentine players were booed as they entered the field an hour before kickoff.
– The Argentine national anthem was met with jeers and whistles.
– Home fans booed Argentine players whenever they touched the ball after kickoff.
The hostile reception follows a recent racism scandal involving a video of Argentine players singing an offensive song about French players of African heritage after their Copa America victory last month.
Despite the off-field tensions, security measures remained as initially planned, with over 400 police and gendarmerie officers deployed, along with 100 military personnel and the use of drones.
The match, played before a crowd of 42,000, was a rematch of the 2022 World Cup final, though without stars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé due to the tournament’s Under-23 format.
After the final whistle, fighting broke out between the players, highlighting the intense rivalry between the two teams.
This victory keeps France’s hopes alive for another Olympic gold medal in men’s soccer, adding to the nation’s rich soccer history.
