France secured their place in the Olympic men’s football quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over New Zealand, topping Group A and will face rivals Argentina.
Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring in the 19th minute, and further goals from Desire Doue and Arnaud Kalimuendo sealed a dominant performance. The hosts now face Argentina in the last eight.
Argentina clinched their quarter-final spot with a 2-0 win over Ukraine in Group B. Thiago Almada’s spectacular long-range strike and a late goal from Claudio Echeverri ensured their progression. Despite the victory, Morocco topped the group thanks to a 3-0 win over Iraq, courtesy of a better goal difference from their opening game against Argentina.
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Spain, despite a shock 2-1 defeat to Egypt, still qualified as runners-up in Group C. Egypt’s Ibrahim Adel scored twice, with Spain’s Samu Omorodion pulling one back in the dying moments. Japan topped Group D with a perfect record after a 1-0 win against Israel, with Moa Hosoya scoring the decisive goal. Paraguay advanced as runners-up from the group with a 1-0 win over Mali.
Quarter-Final Fixtures
Friday, 2 August:
14:00: Morocco vs. United States, Paris
16:00: Japan vs. Spain, Décines-Charpieu
18:00: Egypt vs. Paraguay, Marseille
20:00: France vs. Argentina, Bordeaux
With the quarter-finals set, the competition heats up as the remaining teams vie for a place in the semi-finals.
