Kylian Mbappe’s fantastic double fired the French through with a thrilling 4-3 to win over Argentina in one of the games of the tournament.
France stormed into the quarter finals as a star was born on the day the curtain almost certainly came down on the World Cup career of one of the greatest ever.
It’s surely goodbye to the biggest stage for Lionel Messi, with his international retirement now said to be around the corner.
Mbappe showed why he could be the next big thing, turning the game on its head as France ultimately sailed through. They will face either Portugal or Uruguay in the last eight.
The 1998 winners were 2-1 down before Benjamin Pavard’s wonder-goal drew Didier Deschamps’ side level as they look to win the competition 20 years on. PSG’s hot prospect then took total control.
It’s not been a World Cup to remember so far for Antoine Griezmann, but he himself was quick to remind everyone that it was in the knockout stages at Euro 2016 when he found he feet.
How close he came to finding those size nines two years on, smashing an early free-kick against the crossbar but it wouldn’t take long for his moment to arrive.
In the stadium where he got his only goal so far, a penalty against Australia, the forward tucked away another one to double his account.
It was made by Mbappe, masterful after picking up the ball well in his own half and running at the Argentine defence. Marcos Rojo, the hero in the final group game, this time had daggers in his direction as he hauled over the French flyer in a moment of blind panic.
The South Americans were failing to match up to the wonderful support they were being given, their players appeared confused by the 4-3-3 formation their under-pressure coach Jorge Sampaoli had employed.
That was until Angel Di Maria was given too much space, he took a close touch and scored probably the goal of the tournament so far.
From fully 30 yards, he took aim to give his side a much needed lift with half-time looming.
How important that moment proved to be. Two minutes into the second half, the two-time winners found themselves in front.
Messi probed, he took aim in typical style but his shot hit Gabriel Mercado for a stunning seven-minute turn-around. Hugo Lloris could only watch, questioning like the rest of how us how much the Sevilla defender knew about it.
Argentina substitute Fazio almost gifted the French a leveller. Getting his angles horribly wrong as he tried to pass back to his goalkeeper, Griezmann couldn’t take advantage but he looked to have been tugged back.
Pavard didn’t need favours. He wrapped his foot around the ball perfectly to equalise within minutes, his first goal for his country was breathtaking – technique to die for as the right-back levelled things up.
Then came the Mbappe show.
Like their rivals, the goal inspired. It was the PSG star who stole the show, persistent and powerful, his shot was fierce but should have been kept out. This time is was France who came back from a losing position, 3-2 up with nearly half an hour to play. It was turning into a classic.
Not 20 until December, he and France seriously came alive.
It was two for him and four for France when Olivier Giroud waited for the attacker and fed a wonderful back through and the teenager took the chance like the most experienced player on the planet.
It was all over bar the shouting, surely no great escape this time from Argentina. They gave themselves hope when Sergio Aguero headed home four minutes into injury time but it was too little too late.
Messi left the pitch at full-time knowing he will be 36 when the next World Cup rolls around in four years time.
We surely said goodbye to one great, but has a new star now really arrived.