Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the lone goal just five minutes into the match in Bordeaux, heading in a corner from Michael Olise.
With this victory, France, led by coach Thierry Henry, advances to the semi-finals, where they will compete alongside Spain, Morocco, and Egypt for a chance at gold in Paris next Friday, August 9.
This match marked the first encounter between the teams since Argentina’s Copa America celebration, which included offensive chants about French players, prompting a FIFA investigation into the racist and homophobic remarks directed at stars like Kylian Mbappe. The game in Bordeaux was further charged by the animosity from the 2022 World Cup final, which Argentina won on penalties.
The atmosphere was tense, with jeering from the crowd during Argentina’s national anthem and confrontations between players and staff at the final whistle. Thierry Henry expressed frustration over a red card issued to midfielder Enzo Millot, who was on the bench at the time.
Argentina, managed by Javier Mascherano, missed key opportunities, with Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez failing to capitalize. As a result, the men’s football gold will not be won by a Latin American team for the first time since Cameroon’s victory in Sydney 2000.
France had a chance to extend their lead, but a late goal by Olise was disallowed for a foul in the buildup.
In other semi-final matchups, Spain and Morocco also progressed. Spain defeated Japan 3-0 in Lyon, with a standout performance from Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez, who scored twice. Captain Abel Ruiz added the third goal.
Morocco secured their place in the last four by overpowering the United States 4-0 in Paris. Soufiane Rahimi, Ilias Akhomach, Achraf Hakimi, and Mehdi Maouhoub contributed to the win, with Akhomach declaring their determination to win despite the lack of external hype.