France vs Argentina

Matmut Atlantique forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering 2024 Olympic Games quarter-final tie between France and Argentina.

Bidding to become the third host nation to win the gold medal since 1992, France enjoyed a dominant Group A campaign, winning all three matches against New Zealand, Guinea, and the United States ‘to nil.’ Two of those three victories yielded an identical 3-0 scoreline, but it’s worth noting that Les Bleus failed to score before halftime in their opening two group-stage outings. No strangers to standout results at the Olympic Games, France won gold in 1984 in the US but had to settle for a runner-up finish almost a century before, picking up silver in 1900 on home soil. As one of only two nations to have won all three group-stage fixtures, Thierry Henry’s high-flyers head into proceedings in a buoyant mood, looking to protect their superb defensive record.

While France walked out of the group stages unscathed, as one of just two teams with all three clean sheets, Argentina’s Group B run was wild, commencing with a controversial 2-1 defeat to Morocco on day one. Javier Mascherano’s lads avenged that morale-wracking result with a 3-1 win against Iraq before easing past Ukraine 2-0 on matchday three. Despite returning to their usual best, the South American heavyweights finished second in their group behind Morocco. That opening-day upset could be the scourge of Argentina’s quest to secure a podium finish for the first time since winning gold in 2008 in Beijing. La Albiceleste fans may need patience in this blockbuster clash, considering the Argentines netted beyond the hour mark in all three Group B fixtures.