France beat Messi’s Argentina 4-3 to reach World Cup quarter-finals

American Cable News Network (CNN) Sports has nominated Super Eagles Forward Ahmed Musa’s first goal against Iceland as one of the best scored in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Argentine legend Diego Maradona is a controversial idol, worshipped as a god for his World Cup-winning exploits but whose life of excess has left a tormented public back home torn between veneration and derision.

France have a number of options to limit Lionel Messi’s influence in their round of 16 clash against Argentina coach Didier Deschamps said on Friday.

Only a short cycle up the canal from central Paris towards the French capital’s deprived northern suburbs lies Bondy, the hometown of boy wonder Kylian Mbappe.

Defeat has finally taken its toll on Nigerians. Besides turning every Nigerian into an orphan, the oneness, the bond of togetherness which has been the signature of football victory has been broken.

Japan and Senegal broke new ground on Thursday as FIFA’s fair play rankings were used to decide a World Cup group for the first time.

Football legend  Maradona has been removed as ambassador for FIFA and will no longer be paid over his poor conduct during the Argentina and Nigeria match.

Argentina captain Lionel Messi said his side’s next round of 16 match against France is going to be very difficult.

A brilliant strike by Adnan Januzaj lit up an otherwise insipid clash as Belgium beat England 1-0 to secure top spot in World Cup Group G in Kaliningrad on Thursday.

Antoine Griezmann lit up Euro 2016 as France reached the final on home soil, but a series of stuttering performances at the World Cup have set alarm bells ringing ahead of a last-16 meeting with Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

Brazil cruised through to the World Cup last 16 on Wednesday, topping Group E to set up a match against Mexico as Switzerland also progressed to the first knockout round where they will face Sweden.

AFP Sport picks out some of the best quotes at the World Cup:

“It’s too soon for me to answer, it will take a few hours to see things clearly, the disappointment is very deep in me.”

Germany have failed to qualify from the group stages at a World Cup finals for the first time since 1938.

Holders Germany sensationally crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday in one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history — failing to make it past the opening round for the first time since 1938.