The decisive goal came early, with Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta heading in Michael Olise's corner just five minutes into the game. Argentina had their best opportunity right before half-time, but Giuliano Simeone's header missed the mark.
Late in the game, France thought they had scored a second goal, but it was disallowed after the VAR determined that Maghnes Akliouche had committed a foul before Olise's deflected shot found the net.
The tension between the teams was palpable, fueled by recent incidents, including Argentine players singing a derogatory song about France's black players after their Copa America win on July 14.
French fans showed their displeasure by booing the Argentinian national anthem before the match at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux. The altercations at the end of the game underscored the rivalry's intensity. France, who last won Olympic gold in men's football in 1984, will now face Egypt in the semi-final on Monday at 20:00 BST. Egypt advanced by defeating Paraguay 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Argentina, who had previously beaten France on penalties at the 2022 World Cup, aimed to become the first nation to hold both the World Cup and Olympic titles simultaneously since Italy in 1936. Despite the loss, it was a triumphant day for French sports, with the 2024 Olympic hosts winning gold medals in judo, swimming, and BMX cycling earlier that day.
In another quarter-final, Spain set up a semi-final clash with Morocco after defeating Japan 3-0 in Lyon. Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, part of Spain's victorious Euro 2024 squad, scored twice. Lopez opened the scoring with a left-foot drive and later added a second with a long-range right-foot shot. Abel Ruiz secured the win with a late tap-in.
Morocco reached the semi-finals for the first time by dominating the United States 4-0 at Parc des Princes. Soufiane Rahimi scored his fifth goal of the tournament from the penalty spot, Ilias Akhomach added a close-range finish, and captain Achraf Hakimi extended the lead with a left-footed strike. Substitute Mehdi Maouhoub sealed the victory with another penalty in stoppage time.
Hakimi, who plays for Paris St-Germain, felt the home crowd's support. "I felt like I was playing at home in this stadium where I play for my club, but also because our fans were very loud and were here in big numbers," he said. "Fans have been following us all tournament, and I hope they can follow us all the way to the final. We want to make them proud."
