• Antoine Griezmann’s penalty kick gave France an early 1-0 lead over Argentina in this World Cup knockout round clash in Kazan.
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How to watch: In the U.S., FS1 and Telemundo have the broadcast at 10 a.m. Eastern, but you can stream it here.
32’: Mascherano Sends a Message
Pogba wins the ball and holds off Messi with a Heisman-like stiff arm. Mascherano didn’t like that, though, and in N.H.L. enforcer mode he just hammers Pogba from behind. Could have been a yellow, or a two-minute minor, but the referee decides against.
31’: Pogba Gets Involved
Now it’s Paul Pogba loping up the center like a thoroughbred. He feeds the 19-year old Mbappé on the right as he approaches the area, but he tries to cut back and loses the ball.
A minute later he and Olivier Giroud break in, but Giroud zigs as the pass zags, and the chance rolls right into Armani’s arms.
30’: Messi the Decoy
Messi just walking in midfield now, almost a decoy. France is keeping a close watch on him, though, so he’s going to have to work really hard to find some space to be Messi.
28’: No Penalty on France Hand Ball
Mercado on an overlapping run into the area lifts the ball and it hits Umtiti’s arm as it sails harmlessly through the crease in front of Lloris. He appeals for a penalty but V.A.R. clearly sees that as unintentional, because the game promptly continues. (Remember, they can tell the referee in real time what they’ve seen, and he can take their word.)
26’: Ball Control, but No Bite for Argentina
Argentina has had 70 percent possession so far, but hasn’t mustered so much as a single shot. France, meanwhile, has hit the crossbar and scored a goal with its rare bits of possession.
25’:Umtiti Goes Down
Umtiti goes down at the other end as Lloris charges left to smother a chance. It looks like Perez may have caught Umtiti, but they shake hands and there’s no VAR to see if something untoward occurred.
23’: Argentina Defense Continues to Struggle
Argentina has now given up more goals (six) than any team left in the tournament. They and Spain were both at five in the group stage.
22’ Escape for Argentina
Kylian Mbappé clearly has instructions to run at the back four every chance he gets. And he will get more chances.
Christopher Clarey: France’s 4 goals in this World Cup so far: penalty, own goal, tap-in after deflection and penalty
21’ Pogba Misses
Pogba skies it. Tough to get it up and down over the wall from that close. But also tough to get it down when you only hit it up.
20’: Dangerous Free Kick for France
Pogba and Griezmann over it again ......They seem to be negotiating.
19’: Mbappé Causing Problems for Argentina
Mbappé in again! He’s tormenting Argentina. He splits the center backs again and is pulled down by Rojo AGAIN.
This one is just outside the area though, sparing Argentina another penalty. That probably keeps Rojo in the game, too, since he got a yellow on the earlier penalty. This one was about six inches outside the area, and the referee lets him slide.
18’ Di Maria’s Free Kick Handled
Argentina’s Angel Di Maria fails to beat the first defender with a free kick on the left.
14’: Disaster for Argentina
It’s also a disastrous start for Argentina, exposing what has been their weak spot all tournament: a defense that just isn’t up to World Cup-winning standards.
13’ GOAL! France Leads, 1-0
Antoine Griezmann rolls it calmly almost straight up the middle as Armani dives to his left. That’s the start France needed, and the goal that Griezmann needed.
11’ Penalty Kick for France!
No doubt about it; Kylian Mbappé with a solo run that causes panic in the back, and Rojo, beaten around the corner, pulls him down.
Mbappé is down, but what a run: straight up the middle and leaving at least four Argentines in the dust. Rojo just reached in in vain, and they went down together. Griezmann will take the penalty kick.
9’: Griezmann Rattles the Crossbar!
What a rocket off the free kick; Armani just watched it from the ground. The first chance of the game is a near-miss, but a good sign if you’re France.
7’: Argentina’s Formation
Argentina’s setup so far appears to be Messi alone up front, with five midfielders in support and Mascherano standing in the middle pointing and yelling about where everyone with the ball should send it next.
6’: Di Maria and Messi Miss Connection
A super through ball springs Di Maria on the left, but his cross is air-mailed and goes out for a goal kick. Messi looks over as if to say, “Duuuudde .......”
4’: Free Kick Cleared by France
Dangerous chance comes out of it though, with a free kick on the left, but France clears.
3’: France Will Be Physical All Day
Matuidi whacks Messi as he tries to cut inside. More physical play, and volunteer referee Javier Mascherano is quick to point out that’s a couple times the little man has been bodied already.
2’: France Deals With Messi
Messi gets his first touch, but a pressing France (well, Kanté) immediately dispossesses him. He’s going to be all over the Argentine captain today, and he’s very good at that.
1’: A Quick Whistle
The game lasts only seconds before Giroud trucks Tagliafico chasing a header. That may be a message, or just hyper-nerves. But it won’t be the last time Giroud runs over an Argentine, trust us.
Kickoff!
O.K., the anthems are done. Here we go. Warm hug between France’s Umtiti and Messi in the handshake line; they’re teammates at Barcelona. Rojo and Pogba will know each other from Manchester United, too.
France will be in blue with white shorts today. Argentina is in its traditional blue-and-white stripes with black shorts.
Our referee today is Alireza Faghani of Iran. It’s an Italian V.A.R. crew.
Will This Be Messi’s Last Run?
The last time Messi was eliminated from a major tournament, he retired from Argentina’s national team before he left the stadium, only to be coaxed back for this World Cup.
The retirement came in 2016, which was the third straight summer he had suffered defeat in a major final — in extra time to Germany at the 2014 World Cup and on penalties to Chile on the Copa America in 2015 and 2016. After losing to Chile in New York, Messi declared that he had done all he could do.
“It’s not for me,” he said then. “We’ve lost three finals in a row and I’m disappointed about it but what can I do? It wasn’t meant to be, and we have to understand it, and that’s it.”
Could today be the end for real if Argentina loses? Maybe. Messi will be 35 at the next World Cup, and playing for Argentina sure hasn’t seemed to bring him much joy this month. He has looked frustrated and withdrawn. A win over France might spark something in him, and his teammates — a chance to go to the quarterfinals with the hope of one last run. But today’s winner meets the Uruguay-Portugal survivor, and it won’t get easier after that.
Argentina Fills the Stands
For the 4th straight game here in Russia, France is playing what feels like a road game. French fans are heavily outnumbered by Argentine fans, just as they were by Australian fans in this stadium in game one. Some of the French fan clubs have complained that they have not been able to get seats close together, although I can se at least two good blocs of them today. French federation president Noel Le Graet said this week that France has work to do in terms of mobilizing its traveling fans. French players have taken note. When they played Peru in Yekaterinburg, captain Hugo Lloris told me it was like playing in South America.
How the Argentine fans did it, I’ll never know. Their team wasn’t expected to be playing here when this tournament began. And yet the Argentines are filling 3/4ths of the seats in Kazan Arena. Huge atmosphere, if you’re Argentine
Warm-up Support
Blasting Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” over the loudspeakers in Kazan as the teams warmed up seemed like A1 trolling/subliminal support of Argentina and France after the suboptimal two weeks they’ve had.
Three fans just showed up on the screen in Russian-themed France jerseys. The names on the back: Pogbov, Mbappov, Kantov. Nice work.
Christopher Clarey: In place here in Kazan. Gorgeous day: 83 degrees, sunny, as it has been most of the time here in Kazan. Low humidity though: close to 30 percent. Field is already almost entirely in shadow so weather conditions should not be a big factor.
Messi on the Spot
Best stat you might not know entering today? Lionel Messi has never scored in a knockout round game at the World Cup.
Yellow Danger
Pogba, Blaise Matuidi and Corentin Tolisso are all one booking away from suspension for France. Ever Banega, Gabriel Mercado, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Marcos Acuna and Nicolas Otamendi are in the same danger for Argentina.
Player to Watch: Ever Banega
Want a non-Messi, non-Griezmann, non-Pogba player to watch today? Try Ever Banega. He sprung Messi for that gorgeous goal against Nigeria with an inch-perfect ball over the top, and he will again need to do a lot of work in midfield to make Argentina work. Mascherano will handle the dirty work behind him — hopefully, says every Argentina fan, without conceding a penalty this time.
Really fantastic move this for Messi’s goal. The pass from Banega is perfect. But the movement from Messi and then the touch and finish. Sublime! pic.twitter.com/eZ4Pba2fE2
— Whitehouse Address (@The_W_Address) June 26, 2018
Argentina’s Starting Lineup
Argentina drops Aguero again, and starts with Di Maria and Pavon up front flanking Messi.
12 Franco Armani (River Plate)
2 Gabriel Mercado (Sevilla)
17 Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City)
16 Marcos Rojo (Manchester United)
3 Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax)
15 Enzo Perez (Boca Juniors)
14 Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune)
7 Ever Banega (Sevilla)
22 Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors)
10 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
11 Angel di María (Paris St Germain)
The teams have arrived for #FRAARG!
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 30, 2018
Who's looking forward to this one?
TV listings https://t.co/xliHcxWvEO
France’s Starting Lineup
France goes back to its A-list:
1 Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
2 Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart)
4 Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
5 Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona)
21 Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid)
13 N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea)
6 Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
10 Kylian Mbappé (Paris St Germain)
7 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
14 Blaise Matuidi (Juventus)
9 Olivier Giroud (Chelsea)
A Look at the Bracket
Saturday’s winner in Kazan plays the winner of the late game, Uruguay vs. Portugal in Sochi. That means before the day is done we could be looking at a Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo quarterfinal, or a tournament without either one of them. Or something in between.
Graphic
World Cup 2018 Bracket: The 16 Teams in the Knockout Round
Teams and schedule for the knockout stage.
Argentina Works on Penalties
Argentina practiced penalties in training Friday. You’d have to think every team would be doing that now, but Argentina may need it most: they lost the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals to Chile in penalty shootouts.
France: Mendy Out, but Umtiti Might Return
Benjamin Mendy is out for France but Samuel Umtiti might be back to join the silky Raphael Varane in central defense. The always-working midfielder N’Golo Kanté will probably get the job of shadowing Messi, or at least hectoring him when he does get the ball.
“We’re working to improve, to play a bit better, because we can do it,” France’s Umtiti said. “But the most important thing will be to win, because if we go all the way, even if most people are not pleased by our football, everybody will be happy and we won’t hear any more that the football was lacking.”
Graphic
The Outstanding Goals of Ronaldo and Kroos as You’ve Never Seen Them
We have dissected the critical moment leading to each goal in order to fly you through the scene.
Sampaoli Gets Messi’s Support
There have been rumors that Argentina’s players have lost faith in Sampaoli, that they now dismiss his opinions and pick the team themselves. But after the Nigeria win, Messi made a point of seeking out Sampaoli for a hug. “Leo’s gesture with me makes me proud,” he said. “He knows all the passion I put into everything I do.”
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