France look to neutralise Lionel Messi

Samuel Petrequinn Like any other team facing Argentina, France faces the Lionel Messi question: How to stop the five-time world player of the year?

Like any other team facing Argentina, France faces the Lionel Messi question: How to stop the five-time world player of the year?

Unlike many of its rivals at the World Cup, though, France has an answer:A centre-half pairing of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti. France, who play Argentina for a spot in the quarter-finals today in Kazan, has been misfiring since the start of the tournament, scoring just three goals in its group matches.