Friday’s quarter-final match between France and Argentina in the men’s Olympic football tournament was followed by a huge brawl on the pitch.
Hosts France, led by Thierry Henry, won the match 1-0 and will face Egypt in the semi-finals thanks to an early goal from Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The match was the latest chapter in a fierce rivalry between these two great footballing nations.
Tensions have been high between the two since Argentina beat Les Bleus in a penalty shootout to win an epic FIFA World Cup final in December 2022.
Some Argentine fans celebrated the victory by creating a derogatory chant about France that has been widely condemned as racist, homophobic and transphobic.
The two teams met after France beat Argentina 1-0 in Bordeaux
A 30-man brawl followed Friday’s competitive match at the men’s Olympic soccer tournament.
But that song was sung again, including by a group of players, after Argentina won this summer’s Copa America in the United States.
Before Friday’s match, Argentina’s national anthem was booed by the crowd at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.
The events after the final whistle also provoked boos from the stands, where there was a significant police presence in order to limit possible clashes between rival fans.
The situation seemed to spiral out of control very quickly on the pitch. At one point, the French substitutes and coaching staff ran off the bench to celebrate with the starting XI. The next, a 30-man brawl broke out.
A circle of angry players then moved towards the touchline, before eventually heading towards the tunnel, where more disorder ensued.
The French players later reappeared to celebrate their victory in front of a cheering home crowd.
