France produced a masterclass in finishing as Kylian Mbappé netted three times before the interval to leave Argentina shell-shocked in their Group D encounter. The Paris Saint-Germain star opened the scoring with a low drive in the 18th minute, doubled the lead from the penalty spot on 29 minutes, and completed his hat-trick just before half-time with a clinical near-post finish.

Argentina struggled to cope with France’s rapid transitions, repeatedly caught out by long balls over the top that Mbappé exploited with devastating effect. The South Americans managed only two shots on target all evening and failed to register a single corner.

With the game already decided, France added a fourth after the break through a tidy team move finished by Olivier Giroud. The result leaves Argentina facing an uphill task to reach the knockout stages while France sit top of Group D with a maximum nine points.