Crystal Palace striker Mateta struck five minutes into the quarter-final in Bordeaux, meeting Michael Olise’s corner with a superb near-post header.
That proved enough for the hosts, coached by Thierry Henry, to reach the last four and stay in contention to win gold in Paris next Friday, August 9.
It was the first meeting of the nations since Argentina players were recorded singing racist chants about their French counterparts as they celebrated winning the Copa America in mid-July.
FIFA announced it would investigate the chants, which targeted France’s star striker Kylian Mbappe among others and included racist and homophobic insults.
The Argentina team were met with a hostile welcome in Bordeaux, where the crowd loudly jeered their national anthem as the sides also met for the first time since the 2022 World Cup final which the South Americans won on penalties.
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