FIFA World Cup: France and Argentina headline Monday’s action
· The South African
Defending champions Argentina and European giants France will both be looking to strengthen their positions as the group stage edges closer to its conclusion.
Will world superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe grab the headlines?
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ARGENTINA AND FRANCE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
ARGENTINA
The South American giants made an emphatic start to their Group J campaign by defeating Algeria 3-0, thanks to Lionel Messi’s hat trick. The defending champions controlled proceedings throughout and now sit top of the group, needing another positive result against Austria to move within touching distance of the knockout stages.
AUSTRIA
Austria also opened with maximum points after a convincing 3-1 victory over Jordan. The Europeans showed resilience and attacking quality to begin their campaign on the right note and now face their toughest assignment yet against Lionel Scaloni’s side.
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FRANCE
France underlined their status as title contenders with a commanding 3-1 win over Senegal in their opening Group I fixture, where Real Madrid superstar Mbappe snatched the lead. Les Bleus combined pace and precision in attack and will be favourites once again when they meet Iraq.
IRAQ
Iraq endured a difficult start after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Norway. The Middle Eastern nation now finds itself under pressure, with a result against France potentially essential to keep its FIFA World Cup hopes alive.
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MONDAY 22 JUNE FIFA WORLD CUP FIXTURES
- Argentina vs Austria – 19:00 SAST
- France vs Iraq – 23:00 SAST.
With knockout qualification at stake, both encounters promise high-quality football and significant implications for the final Group I and Group J standings.
Did you know which country has won the most FIFA World Cups?
Brazil is the only nation to have competed in every edition of the FIFA World Cup and also holds the record for the most titles, having lifted the trophy five times in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.
Did you know what the highest-scoring World Cup match was?
The highest-scoring match in tournament history produced an astonishing 12 goals when Austria defeated Switzerland 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Did you know who scored the fastest goal in World Cup history?
Turkey’s Hakan Şükür found the back of the net just 11 seconds into the third-place playoff against South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, a record that still stands today.
Did you know who the youngest World Cup goalscorer is?
Brazilian legend Pelé remains the youngest player ever to score at a FIFA World Cup, netting against Wales in 1958 at the age of just 17 years and 239 days.