Russia 2018 : The present meets the future

Messi and Mbappe come face to face after the France-Argentina match

The match had electrified the Kazan Arena on Saturday and every fan left the stadium knowing they had witnessed a special match, a knockout game for the ages.

While the proceedings lasted, one particular prodigious teenager had set the spine tingling.

Not long after the commencement of the game, 19-year-old Mbappe ran with blistering pace from his own half to win a penalty for the opener. By the end of the afternoon France had won a 4-3 victory over Argentina. The win moves Didier Deschamps' talented side into the quarter-finals.

Mbappe's spell-binding performance defined a match whose outcome signals France's real potential to go all the way in Russia and claim their second World Cup trophy.