Mbappe steals the show as France reaches quarter-finals | Football News

KAZAN: All you could hear after 68 minutes in the match between Argentina and France inside Kazan Stadium on Saturday, it was the noisy and vigorous singing of La Marseillaise.

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France beat Argentina 4-3 to enter the quarterfinals

Kylian Mbappe scored his second and fourth in France, yes fourth, against the l '[:::. Argentina's Lionel Messi in pre-quarterfinal World Cup in this city icon, southwest of Moscow.


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It was a broad day but the sun had been lying on Messi and Argentina, jostled by the Mbappe's rhythm and slippery style of Antoinne Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Paul Pogba and Gante Nante Gante.

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The rise of a new vibrant France set off the end of the era of Lionel Messi. Diego Maradona will no longer enjoy the best place in the house and his cheerleader skills will not be solicited, at least for another four years.

By saving a few tears from Messi, we must celebrate the expansive, comforting and draining game played by the men of Didier Deschamps. It was a great performance, in front of an eclectic gathering on the highest stage.

For 90 minutes, even more in the second 45, France played as to show the 46,000 spectators in the stadium what the expression "joie de vivre" means.

France fell in love today with the free spirit of a 19 year old girl. The first round of Mbappe earned France a free kick. Griezmann sent shivers down the Argentine spine, thundering the horizontal. His second run, even longer than the first, earned France a penalty. Javier Mascherano, Nicolas Otamendi and Marcus Rojo were looking for extra oxygen cylinders. Rojo shot Mbappe and Griezmann converted the penalty.

The savvy are not always premeditated, with Argentina realizing that they were ill-equipped to handle the pace of the Parisian winger. His style is simple and beautiful.

Stunned, Argentina retaliated thanks to Angel Di Maria who made a hole in Hugo Lloris's net with a blinding left foot from outside the box. The distance, 30 meters from goal, was the longest so far in this World Cup. The stadium animated, just like Maradona – the self-appointed rebel – in the executive box.

Back from the locker room, Argentina took a bit of a lucky lead in a corner. The ball found Messi on the other end and he fired a shot full of hope even though Pogba was blocking him. The shot escaped Pogba but found Gabriel Mercado's outstretched leg at the Lloris wrong-foot.

France remained calm. Kante continued his work collecting and spraying bullets. Nice movements started to flow on the ground. From such a fluid movement, France has leveled. The left-back, Lucas Hernandez, sent a center of depth in the Argentine half. The ball found its way to the farthest corner where Benjamin Pavard returned to get him into Franco Armani's net, past his restless hands. Even a child does not dream of such a goal.

The next two, in the 64th and 68th, were the stuff of Mbappe's dreams. He first overtook Federico Fazio to put France back in the lead. Four minutes later, Mbappe shook the world. Giroud's pbad found the youngster who came to meet the balloon, his new best friend, with a sweet connection. The contest was past the point of no return.

Messi, unsuccessfully admiring the unveiling of a new star, may have wanted to give his last critical performance. To leave his final mark on the tournament, he floated a delightful balloon on the French defense. Sergio Aguero is headed to give the floor to his defeated supporters, at least for the remaining few minutes.