Argentina were met with a harsh reception as they took to the field to play Morocco in their first match at the Olympic Games. The Argentine national anthem was roundly booed by the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in images reminiscent of when Diego Maradona’s Albiceleste were booed in the 1990 World Cup.
A resentment between France and Argentina has been growing since the 2022 World Cup final when the South American side defeated Les Bleus on penalties. The French team and public were appalled by Argentina’s celebrations which saw Emiliano Martínez (31) mock Kylian Mbappé (25) and carry around a baby doll with the French captain’s image plastered onto the head during the nation’s open-top bus parade.
It was during this parade that the Argentine fans could be heard racially insulting Mbappé and the French team, something that drew criticism from the European nation at the time. However, while this matter was never resolved there was a sense that enough time and distance between the two nations had allowed for the most part the animosity to quieten.
This was until the Argentina national team won the Copa América. In the celebrations caught on video by Enzo Fernández (23), the squad could be heard chanting a racist and transphobic song popularised by Argentina fans during the 2022 World Cup. The actions of the team have drawn almost universal criticism outside of the South American nation, which remains more divided on the issue.
It is hardly a surprise that the Argentina U23s will receive a cold and hostile welcome from the French stadiums across the nation as they look to compete in the Olympic Games. However, it appears to have also spread to the other sports, with the Argentina rugby team also receiving an unwelcome reception.
