French Victory Over Argentina Ended Up In A Skirmish Between The Teams

Jean-Philip Mateta's goal gave the French team a 1-0 victory over the two-time Olympic winner, but tensions reached a breaking point at the end of the match. Players and staff from both teams fought on the field following the final whistle. As Argentina's coaches and substitutes also came onto the field to celebrate their country's progress to the Olympic semi-finals, France's coaching staff and players did the same. The fight started when Argentine players confronted a French player, setting off a chain reaction that rapidly got out of control. More players entered the fight as it got more intense, trying to either stir things up or calm them down. We still don't know exactly what set off the fight. On the other hand, others conjecture that the Argentine players' outrage may have been sparked by French midfielder Enzo Millot's passionate celebration. 

For a few minutes, there was pushing until the players were separated. A few seconds later, some players from France seemed to run down the tunnel. However, they quickly returned and performed a lap of honor.

The Grudge War

Given the recent racism issue involving both teams, there was a strong expectation for the match to be heated. After Argentina won the Copa America last month, Enzo Fernandez sang a song critical of French players live on social media. The song had a disparaging phrase used at transgender people as well as racist remarks about the African origins of French players, which some Argentine fans have occasionally performed.

Fernandez apologized to his Chelsea teammates in both public and private after the event received significant censure. After speaking with Fernandez in person, Chelsea player Wesley Fofana, a Frenchman who had previously called the incident "uninhibited racism" on social media, disclosed that he and the player had made up. Fofana clarified that Fernandez had no intention of hurting anyone and was not aware of how disrespectful the chants were.

What’s Next?

Tensions between the two countries still exist, as seen by the most recent fight and the racial scandal that came before it. If these two footballing titans ever meet again, things may get heated. As France prepares to play Egypt in the last four on August 5, attention will probably return to the country's Olympic exploits.