France 4-3 Argentina: Mbappe sends Messi home as the wonderkid writes his name in history

  

Kylian Mbappe wrote his name in history as the wonderkid scored brace to crush Lionel Messi's World Cup dreams and send France to quarter-finals.  

2018 World Cup  4 - 3 Antoine Griezmann (13' PEN)  Benjamin Pavard (57')  Kylian Mbappé (64', 68')  Ángel Di María (41')  Gabriel Mercado (48')  Sergio Aguero (92')  Match Events  9' CHANCE! Griezmann‘s free kick hits the post   OFF THE BAR! Griezmann comes within inches of firing his side into the lead. He curls his effort over the wall and has Armani beaten all ends up, only to be denied by the bar.  

11' Rojo fouls Mbappe and gives away a penalty!    PENALTY TO FRANCE! Mbappe seizes on a loose ball in the middle of the park and he surges into the Argentina box before being pulled to the ground by Rojo. A senseless challenge from the defender, leaving the referee with no alternative to point to the spot.  

13' Penalty Goal! France 1-0 Argentina (Griezmann)    GOALLLLLLLLL!!!!! GRIEZMANN CONVERTS!! FRANCE 1-0!!   Les Bleus take the lead as the striker holds his nerve from the spot, calmly stroking his effort into the bottom corner. Armani went a fraction too early and was punished by the composure of Griezmann.  

Mbappe's speed causes huge issues against for Argentina as the forward latches on to Pogba's sublime ball over the top. Tagliafico brings him down on the edge of the box, handing a free-kick to France. The Albiceleste are all over the place at the back.  

21' CHANCE! Pogba's free kick over the bar    OVER! Pogba goes for the strike from the free-kick. He gets the power required, but he smashes his effort well over the bar. Argentina breathe again.  

41' GOAL! France 1-1 Argentina (Di María)     WHAT A GOAL!!!!!! DI MARIA EQUALISES!!!!! 1-1!!! Argentina are back in the game courtesy of a stunner from Di Maria.   The winger picks up the ball in the middle of the park and pulls the trigger on his left boot from 35 yards. His effort has the power and curl to arc away from the hand of Lloris into the top corner. A special strike from the PSG man to get his side back into the game.  

48' GOAL! France 1-2 Argentina (Mercado)   GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! MERCADO DEFLECTS MESSI'S STRIKE HOME!!! ARGENTINA 2-1!!!! What a turnaround at the Kazan Arena.   Argentina have the lead in the contest as France are unable to clear their lines from Banega's cross. Messi collected at the back post and turned into space to fire at goal. His effort struck the legs of his team-mate Mercado in the six-yard box to wrong foot Lloris and the ball trickled into the net. What a moment in the game.  

57' GOAL! France 2-2 Argentina (Pavard)    GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! PAVARD SCORES A SUBLIME STRIKE!!!! 2-2!!!!! France are back on level terms as Pavard skim a half-volley into the top corner.   Hernandez was played down the left flank by Matuidi. His cross failed to connect with a team-mate in the box. Pavard collected on the edge and struck his effort first time on the bounce. He made skimming contact which helped the trajectory of the ball drift inside the post and away from the hand of Armani into the top corner. 

Game on!  64' GOAL! France 3-2 Argentina (Mbappe)    GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! MBAPPE DRILLS HIS EFFORT HOME!!! FRANCE LEAD AGAIN 3-2!!!! Mbappe makes his mark at the World Cup with a crisp finish from close range.   He twisted and turned in the box to find room for a strike in the left inside channel. He connected with his left-footed strike that snuck underneath the body of Armani and into the net. What a game we have on our hands here.   

68' GOAL! France 4-2 Argentina (Mbappe)    GOALLLLLLLLL!!!!! MBAPPE AT THE DOUBLE!!!! FRANCE 4-2!!!! Mbappe provides the finish from a flowing France move, which puts his side on the brink of the last eight.   Griezmann, Pogba and Giroud combined to release the forward into the right inside channel. He held his composure in the box to bury his effort beyond the reach of Armani into the bottom corner. A coming of age for Mbappe on the world stage.  

93' GOAL! France 4-3 Argentina (Aguero)    Match Report  Kylian Mbappe upstaged Lionel Messi as France recorded a 4-3 win over Argentina in a topsy-turvy last-16 clash to open the knockout stages at the World Cup.   

Teenager Mbappe was in devastating form in the heavyweight clash, scoring two second-half goals to bring Argentina's Russia 2018 campaign to an end in Kazan.  The Paris Saint-Germain forward's surging 70-yard burst also led to the opening goal after 13 minutes, Antoine Griezmann slotting home from the penalty spot after Mbappe had been hauled down by Marcos Rojo in the area.  Yet Argentina turned the game around, Angel Di Maria's stunning long-range strike before the break followed by Gabriel Mercado's fortuitous effort early in the second half. 

 However, Benjamin Pavard scored a stunning equaliser in the 57th minute before Mbappe took centre stage with a quick-fire brace, securing Didier Deschamps' side a place in the quarter-finals, where they will play either Uruguay or Portugal.  Messi – whose international future will be a burning question in the aftermath of the defeat - did set up a late header for Sergio Aguero but it was not enough to save Argentina, with the beaten finalists from 2014 slipping out of this year’s tournament.