Argentina and France set for grudge Olympics match
France meet Argentina for a potential grudge match in Bordeaux as the men’s Olympics football quarter-finals take place on Friday.
There has been recent animosity between the teams after Argentina players were filmed singing a derogatory song about France’s black players in the aftermath of winning the Copa America on 14 July.
It was similar to a song sung by Argentina fans during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – a tournament in which the South Americans went on to beat France in the final.
At the Olympics, Argentina’s rugby sevens players have been booed in each of their games by the home French fans.
“With everything that has happened recently, everyone in France was affected, so we will see what happens in the quarter-finals,” said Jean-Philippe Mateta, who captained France in their win against New Zealand.
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, uncapped at senior level, is one of France’s overage players
Why is there animosity between the teams?
Argentina won the Copa America in July but were heavily criticised for singing a song about France players of African descent afterwards
After beating Colombia 1-0 in the Copa America final in July, several members of the Argentina squad were filmed singing a song questioning the heritage of France’s black and mixed-race players.
Argentina fans had sung a song which was described as both racist and homophobic about France’s players at the last World Cup.
The rivalry grew when Argentina beat France on penalties in a thrilling final – with Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick having been only enough for Les Bleus to earn a 3-3 draw.
After that December 2022 game, footage emerged from the Argentina dressing room of the players singing “a minute’s silence for” and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez shouting “for Mbappe who is dead”.
At their celebrations back in Argentina, Aston Villa’s Martinez held a toy baby with Mbappe’s face on, while fans had a coffin lid with a picture of the forward which they set on fire.
Those issues were stirred up again after Argentina’s Copa America final win.
Chelsea have decided not to take any action against their midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was singing and had posted the video to his social media account.
His Blues team-mate Wesley Fofana, a French man with an Ivorian father, called it “uninhibited racism” and has since said he hopes the matter will have educated Fernandez.
What players will be involved?
The men’s football tournament of the Olympics is an under-23 event – with three overage players allowed.
Fifa does not force clubs to release players – so managers have to choose from who is available.
Hosts France had wanted to call up Mbappe, but Real Madrid would not allow their new star signing to play at the European Championship and Olympics in the same summer.
France’s squad includes Crystal Palace striker Mateta, his former club-mate Michael Olise, who has joined Bayern Munich this summer, and captain Alexandre Lacazette, once of Arsenal.
Les Bleus beat the United States, Guinea and New Zealand in the group stages without conceding a goal. Their three overage players have all scored.
Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez is in Argentina’s Olympics squad, just weeks after winning the Copa America with the senior team.
Former City defender Nicolas Otamendi, now of Benfica, and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who was once registered to City but never played for them, are the other two overage players. Both were also involved in the victorious Copa America squad.
Argentina lost 2-1 to Morocco in their opening Group B game but beat Iraq and Ukraine to go through in second place. Botafogo forward Thiago Almada is their top scorer with two goals.
Mascherano v Henry – the managers
Thierry Henry had been linked with the Wales job earlier this summer
Both sides are managed by former Barcelona and Premier League players – although Thierry Henry and Javier Mascherano never played together.
Midfielder Mascherano joined Barca from Liverpool weeks after forward Henry left them for New York Red Bulls in the summer of 2010.
Mascherano, who won 147 caps for Argentina, played for West Ham as well as the Reds in England.
He won two gold medals in the Olympics, in 2004 and 2008, and has managed his country’s under-20s since 2021.
Henry, who is Arsenal’s all-time top scorer with 228 goals, scored 51 international goals in 123 games for France.
He has been France Under-21 boss since last year, and has previously been Belgium assistant and Monaco and Montreal Impact manager.
Quarter-final fixtures – Friday, 2 August (all times BST)
14:00: Morocco v United States, Paris
16:00: Japan v Spain, Lyon
18:00: Egypt v Paraguay, Marseille
20:00: France v Argentina, Bordeaux