Game :France vs Argentina
Date :Saturday, June 30
Time :3pm BST / 10am ET.
France and Argentina will battle it out in the first last 16 fixture at the Kazan Arena in a match that features some of the biggest names in football
The first fixture of the last 16 round will be a huge clash between France and Argentina at the Kazan Arena on Saturday June 30.
Argentina were on the verge of being eliminated from the tournament until Marcos Rojo's last-minute goal against Nigeria in their final group game that they won 2-1, while France topped their group despite giving three underwhelming group stage performances.
Les Bleus were one of the favourites going into the tournament but have failed to impress just yet, while Argentina will be pushing to win the competition following their status as runners-up in Brazil four years ago.
After narrowly making it through to the knockout stage of the competition, a struggling Argentine side will now face its toughest opponent yet in the form of Didier Deschamp’s France.
The French failed to convince in their opening games but finished top of Group C regardless. The side have only conceded one goal this World Cup which came in the form of a Mile Jedniak penalty. France’s strong defensive efforts have served them well in the competition so far, though their failure to score against Denmark will have raised cause for concern.
Argentina, on the other hand, have endured a terrible opening to the World Cup and at point looked destined for a shock exit. However, a late Marcos Rojo goal clinched victory for the South Americans against Nigeria, booking their place in the last-16 for the fourth World Cup in a row.
The last 16 fixture between Argentina and France could very have well been a huge semi-final tie as the two had been pegged to go far in the competition before the tournament started. It has been a topsy-turvy time in Russia for both teams, however, as both sides have failed to live up the expectations placed on them with unconvincing performances against smaller sides.
Argentina had to rely on Nigeria beating Iceland and won only just their final group game, despite this summer being hotly tipped as Lionel Messi's best and final chance to win a World Cup with his country. The South American side failed to gel cohesively against the likes of Iceland and Croatia – drawing 1-1 and losing 3-0 – but were able to secure their spot through a Rojo goal in the dying minutes of stoppage time to win 2-1 against the Super Eagles.
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