Argentina National Football Team Vs France National Football Team Timeline

The Argentina National Team and the France National Football team share one of the most dramatic rivalries in international football. Their iconic encounters began in the year 1930 with the FIFA World Cup in Uruguay. Both the Argentina National Football Team and the France National Football Team have gathered more fans due to the 2022 World Cup Final in Qatar, which many term as the greatest match in the history of football ever played. Argentina had legends like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, and Angel Di Maria on their court, while France, on the other hand, had Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe. The rivalry has produced breakthrough performances of the players, iconic goals and saves and truly emotional moments that will live forever in the hearts of the fans. Argentina Vs France rivalry is a symbol of skills, resilience, and hard work. 

The First Clash Between Argentina and France in 1930 

The Clash between Argentina and France began in the year 1930 with the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup hosted in Uruguay. Thanks to the goal scored by Luis Monti, Argentina made their win against  France 1-0. France was still establishing itself in World Football, struggling their way but showed promising results along their journey.  

Know More: This was one of the first-ever World Cup matches, where Argentina eventually reached the finals, but lost to Uruguay. 

Also Read: Kazakhstan National Football Team vs Norway National Football Team Timeline

Nearly half a century later, Argentina and France crossed each other’s paths again at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, which was a group stage match where Argentina again defeated France by 2-1. The two goals were scored by Daniel Passarella and Leopoldo Luque, while only one goal was scored by the team of France by Michel Platini. 

This victory of Argentina eventually helped them progress and register their first-ever World Cup win on their home ground. 

The Quiet Decades Between Argentina and France 

During the years from 1980-1990, Argentina and France did not have many encounters in the official matches but there were several instances that took place during this period. 

Argentina was led by the legendary Diego Maradona and eventually won the FIFA World Cup in the year 1986 and also reached the finals in 1990. 

France on the other hand was headed by Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane took over the captaincy and registered their first win in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Both the National Teams produced several world-class football players along these years and slowly established themselves as the global powerhouse. 

The Legendary Era of Lionel Messi 

After the early encounters in 2000s Argentina and France usually came up against each other in international friendlies out of which the most notable match was observed in 2009 in Marseille. Argentina made a clear statement with their score of 2-0 with the help of the goals scored by Jonas Gutierrez and the young rising superstar Lionel Messi. This opened numerous doors for young Lionel Messi as he was stiil emerging as a young superstar. Lionel Messi very soon developed a large fan base in Argentina and all across the world. 

The Thriller of the 2018 World Cup

The rivalry between Argentina and France reignited in the 2018 FIFA World Cup which took place in Russia. The final score between France and Argentina was 4-3. The highlights of the matches have been mentioned below: 

• Angel Di Maria scored a goal in the tournament from a 30-yard strike. 
• Benjamin Pavard made a curling equalizer which made a legendary moment in the tournament. 
• Kylian Mbappe who as just 19 years old scored twice in the tournament and always caused trouble for the Argentina’s Defense. 
• Messi assisted a number a of times in the matches but could not prevent the defeat of his team. 

This match announced Kylian Mbappe as the new emerging global superstar.

Know More: Kylian Mbappe was the only teenager after Pele to score a double in a World Cup Knockout Game.  

Also Read: Portugal National Football Team vs France National Football Team Timeline

Head-to-Head Record Between Argentina and France 

The Head-to-Head Comaprison between Argentina and France has been given below to have a better understanding of who leads the game better:

Aspect	Argentina	France
Matches Played	13	13
Wins	7	4
Draws	2	2
Goals Scored	15	14
World Cup Titles	3 Titles (1978, 1986, 2022)	2(1998, 2018)

The Greatest Match Ever between Argentina and France

The peak entertainment and drama between France and Argentina took place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup which took place in Qatar at the Lusail Stadium. Several thrilling moments took place in the match. 

• Argentina took a lead of 2-0 with the help of the penalty scored by Messi and Di Maria. 
• France was on the verge of defeat by the 80th minute but soon after Mbappe scored a double in the 97th second to level up the game. 
• Messi scored again in the extra time in response to the goal scored by Mbappe but Mbappe made a hat-trick with a late penalty. 
• The match ended with a 3-3 after the extra time and Argentina won the game with a score 4-2 in the penalties. 

Legendary Players, Tactical Battles and More

The Legendary Players from both the teams include Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Kylien Mbappe. 

Argentina is known for it’s playmaking and individual brilliance and often relies on its midfielders and forward players while France combines pace, athleticism and amazing defensive mechanism. 

This rivalry gave some of the most iconic thrillers like the 2018 and the 2022 final and connected several legends across the nation.

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