Argentina returns to action in the 2024 Olympics on Saturday, July 27, with their men's team set to face off with Iraq in Group B. Argentina desperately needs a win against Iraq to regain their footing in Olympic men's soccer after a controversial 2-1 loss to Morocco in their opening match.
Javier Mascherano criticized the 2-1 defeat to the Atlas Lions as a "circus," making a victory essential for the Albiceleste in Group B. After several instances of crowd trouble, the match descended into chaos when Argentina seemed to equalize in the 16th minute of added time, prompting a pitch invasion. The match didn't end there and more drama followed.
Big Match for Argentina
The referee ordered both teams off the field, suspending play for two hours. Argentina's equalizer was disallowed by VAR just before the match resumed at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, allowing Morocco to hold on for the win.
Meanwhile, Iraq secured a victory against Ukraine, earning maximum points and joining Morocco at the top of the group.
The dramatic end to Argentina's opening game has placed the gold medal favorites in a challenging position for their next match. Despite their past successes in Athens and Beijing, they have been eliminated early in Brazil and Tokyo, and they did not qualify for London in 2012.
Mascherano now needs to refocus his team and turn around their disappointing start, as they have little room for error.
Radhi Shenaishil's squad can advance with a draw, and a win would secure a spot in the quarter-finals with a game to spare.
Advancing past the group stage would be their first since winning bronze in 2004, though they were unbeaten in 2016 with three draws. Aymen Hussein and Ali Jasim Elaibi were instrumental in their unexpected comeback victory over Ukraine, 2-1, which has dramatically altered the dynamics of Group B.
Here's everything you need to know before the match.
When and Where
The Argentina vs Iraq Paris Olympics 2024 match will be played on Saturday, Jul 27, at the Stade de Lyon in Lyon, France.
The Argentina vs Iraq Paris Olympics 2024 match begins at 3pm (local time), 9 am ET, 2pm BST and 6:30 pm IST.
How to Watch/ Livestream
United States: The Argentina vs Iraq Paris Olympics 2024 match will be broadcast on Peacock, NBC Sports, Universo while live streaming will be available on Fubo.
United Kingdom: The Argentina vs Iraq Paris Olympics 2024 match will be broadcast on Discovery+, EuroSport Player UK. The Argentina vs Iraq Paris Olympics 2024 match will be available for livestreaming on discovery+ App, EuroSport 2 UK
India: The Argentina vs Iraq Paris Olympics 2024 match will be broadcast on Sports 18 Network, and available for livestreaming on JioCinema app and website for free
