Mbappe ruins Messi’s World Cup hopes, condemns Mascherano to retirement
What you need to know:
- Argentina scored through Angel di Maria, Gabriel Mercado and Sergio Aguero.
IN MOSCOW
With his head bowed and the captain's armband in his hands, Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Saturday led his team mates out of the pitch into the dressing room – perhaps for the last time – after his team lost a 2018 World Cup last 16 match 4-3 against France at Kazan Arena.
After that loss to France, Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano announced his retirement from international football.
Yet the biggest source of Argentina’s agony could be traced to one man - 19-year-old French forward Kylian Mbappe who was not even born when France last won the World Cup in 1998.
On Saturday, Mbappe was flattered by comparisons to Brazilian legend Pele who also announced his arrival at the big stage as a 17-year-old. Pele was only 17 years and 249 days old when scored his first goal for Brazil in 1958.
“I am happy to be among those people, but Pele is in another class,” he said soon after Saturday’s match.
Mbappe struck twice in the second half to close another sad chapter in Messi’s career, subjecting the 31-year-old Barcelona striker to a fourth consecutive loss in major finals after the World Cup in 2014, the Copa America in 2015, and the special centenary Copa America in 2016.
Saturday’s loss will be particularly painful for Messi, who had announced his retirement from the national team afterwards after missing a penalty in the 2016 Copa América final shoot-out in New Jersey which Chile won 4-2. Messi was later convinced to reverse his decision and feature for Argentina in 2018 World Cup qualifiers after talks with Edgardo Bauza who was the team’s new coach at the time. Bauza was sacked and replaced by Jorge Sampaoli last year.
If he retires from international football, it will be a sad ending for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner who is also the all-time leading goalscorer for Argentina.
On Saturday, Mbappe scored twice and won a penalty in his team's win over Argentina. Mbappe was also named man-of-the-match. The other goals for France came from Benjamin Pavard and Antoine Griezmann.
Argentina scored through Angel di Maria, Gabriel Mercado and Sergio Aguero.
