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Javier Mascherano has confirmed his retirement from international football after Argentina were eliminated from the World Cup 2018 by France in pulsating encounter in Kazan.
Argentina fell 4-3 to Les Bleus, with Kylian Mbappe stealing the show from Lionel Messi .
And while the Barcelona forward is yet to speak on his international future, Mascherano confirmed that, at 35, he had played his final game for the national team.
Show all 24 1 /24France vs Argentina: Player ratings France vs Argentina: Player ratings France
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Hugo Lloris - 6 out of 10 Could do nothing for Di Maria’s wonder goal, and a cruel deflection on Messi’s strike.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Benjamin Pavard - 8 At just 22, he showed plenty of experience and kept Di Maria quiet, for the goal Di Maria went into the middle, getting no joy from Pavard down the left. Scored a screamer to equalise, and brought France back into the match.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Raphael Varane - 7 Could do little for Di Maria’s individual goal, and played out well from the back.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Samuel Umtiti - 7 With only Messi to contend with in a false nine role in the first half, had little to do, with the only goal coming from range.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Lucas Hernandez - 6 Dealt well with most he encountered, but against an inform player could be a weakness in the quarter finals.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Paul Pogba - 8 After a slow start, he grew into the game and sprayed some wonderful passes out to Griezmann and Mbappe. Finally showed his massive potential.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Ngolo Kante - 7 Calm and composed in possession, looks to have time on the ball even in a crowded midfield.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Blaise Matuidi - 8 His experience and reading of the game prevented Banega and Messi combining as they did against Nigeria, and he’ll be a big miss in the quarters after picking up his second yellow of the tournament.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Kylian Mbappe - 9 The star of the first half show, his pace and power earnt the penalty, and left Otamendi and Rojo in his wake, before adding two goals of his own.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Olivier Giroud - 7 A quiet showing from the frontman. Struggled to connect with Griezmann, and inches away from connecting with a Pavard cross. Fought to the end and gave everything.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Antoine Griezmann - 8 Calm from the penalty spot for the opener and caused problems with his pace. Struggled to combine with Giroud with his final ball, but performed well overall.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Argentina
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Franco Armani - 4 Committed too early for Griezmann’s penalty, rooted to the spot for his free kick that hit the bar, should’ve done better for Mbappe’s second. Adjudged to be the best of a poor three Argentinian goalkeepers – not on this showing.
Sergei Savostyanov/TASS
France vs Argentina: Player ratings Gabriel Mercado - 5 Lucky to escape a yellow card for a challenge on Kante, and one of many to look uncomfortable against French pace in attack, lost his discipline towards the end.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Nicolas Otamendi - 6 Dealt well with Giroud, but looked vulnerable with the pace and power of Mbappe and trickery of Griezmann.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Marcos Rojo - 4 From hero to villain, at fault for the French penalty, and looked out of his depth against the flying Frenchman Mbappe withdrawn at half-time.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Nicolas Tagliafico - 6 One of the better Argentinian defenders despite his inexperience, also tried to get forward wherever he could.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Cristian Pavon - 6 One of the players that shouldered the burden of trying to support Messi, but the combination of a French defence and Kante sitting in front left little space for him.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Javier Mascherano - 6 A yard short of the pace, and his midfield passes that once looked genius, now just take too much time and go backwards.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Enzo Perez - 5 A quiet first half, and replaced by Aguero early in the second half.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Angel Di Maria - 7 Everything he has been for quite a while now, inconsistent but has the talent to change a game, and his strike will be up there for goal of the tournament.
AFP/Getty Images
France vs Argentina: Player ratings Ever Banega - 6 Struggled to link up with Messi as he did against Nigeria, but worked hard and tried to help in defence too.
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France vs Argentina: Player ratings Lionel Messi - 6 A quiet first half in a false nine position with team mates that left him to dig deeper and deeper for the ball, needed a striker to work with and Aguero’s introduction was too late for him.
Yegor Aleyev/TASS
Mascherano was considered such a prodigy that he made his Albiceleste debut before he had even played for his club, River Plate.
He has been a mainstay in the setup ever since and was part of the team that won gold at the Beijing Olympics.
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