Les Bleus needed a penalty, given by the video assistant referee, and goal-line technology to beat Australia 2-1 in their opening game and they were shaken up by Peru on Thursday but won 1-0 thanks to a Kylian Mbappe goal.
Sampaoli looked morose after Argentina's heaviest defeat in a World Cup group stage since 1958 and appeared resigned to his side's fate.
France coach Didier Deschamps hailed young striker Kylian Mbappe for his decisive contribution in the 1-0 victory over Peru in Yekaterinburg that enabled them to progress from Group C into the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday.
Denmark coach Age Hareide admitted his side were fortunate to have four points from their first two World Cup Group C matches after a 1-1 draw with Australia in Samara on Thursday.
Sweden scout Roger Sandberg is not expecting Germany to make many changes for their World Cup game on Saturday, despite the world champions' flat performance in a 1-0 defeat by Mexico in their opening match.
The many moods of the fans at the World Cup in Russia
Cunningham, an LGBT campaigner who works with England's football authorities, is one of only a handful of openly gay England fans who have made the trip to Russia where gay activists have been detained for taking part in demonstrations.
The VAR penalty that helped France defeat Australia in their World Cup opener was the 'strangest' moment of Mile Jedinak's career, the Socceroos captain said on Sunday.
Although he did not put up a scintillating display in midfield, Pogba powered into the box after a couple of one-twos and scored with a slightly deflected lob to earn Les Bleus all three points.
Striker Antoine Griezmann lashed home the historic spot kick in the 58th minute but Australia hit back with a penalty of their own when Samuel Umtiti inexplicably handled the ball in the box four minutes later.
IMAGES from the FIFA World Cup Group C match played between France and Australia at Kazan Stadium on Saturday
Kylian Mbappe believes Les Bleus have what it takes to win the title in Russia if they all stick together.
Didier Deschamps has tough choices to make ahead of his young team's World Cup opener against Australia and the experienced Olivier Giroud could find himself on the bench.
France open their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16 and also play Peru and Denmark in Group C.
World Cup hopefuls France salvaged a late 1-1 draw against the United States in their final friendly before the tournament, while fellow title favourites Spain also needed a late oal as they edged past Tunisia 1-0 on Saturday. Elsewhere, there were wins for finalists Serbia, Denmark, Morocco and Australia, while Sweden were held to a goalless draw by Peru.
Despite striking a brace to help Atletico win Europa League title against Marseille, the French player has been heavily linked with a switch to Barcelona.
South Korea were left with plenty to ponder ahead of this month's World Cup finals after Edin Visca scored a hat-trick to give Bosnia and Herzegovina a 3-1 victory in a friendly in Jeonju on Friday.
"If the French team passes beyond the quarter-finals I will come and support," Macron said during a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
The average global temperature between January and October has been 0.68 degrees Celsius higher than the 20th century's average global temperature of 14.1 degree C.
The FIFA World Cup at Russia saw a variety of celebrations -- from the weird to some fancy dance moves -- Rediff.com has got it all covered here...
A European nation is set to win the World Cup for the fourth time in a row this Sunday and in doing so confirm an unprecedented dominance for the Old World over their once mighty rivals in South America.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
France is slowly but gaining momentum when it mattered most.
It all ended in tears as Argentina and Colombia went out in the round of 16, the latter on penalties, while Uruguay and Brazil both lost their quarter-finals on Friday, to France and Belgium respectively.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Neel Mullick lists a few must-don'ts as well!
Peru made a positive and lasting impression all-round, whether for their enterprising performances or their travelling army of joyous fans
The Danes were certainly in no mood to risk defeat by pushing for a win they did not need to qualify.
Already-qualified France played out an uninspiring goalless draw with Denmark in their final World Cup Group C match at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium on Tuesday, which was enough to ensure that both teams advance to the knockout stage.
Peru captain Paolo Guerrero has promised to give his Australian counterpart Mile Jedinak 'a big hug' before Tuesday's match between the teams as a thank you for his personal support in overturning Guerrero's drug suspension.
Three South American sides have accounted for almost half of all World Cup titles but their worst overall performance since 2002 has raised the question: Is South American football on the wane?
The many moods of the fans at the World Cup in Russia
Australia captain Mile Jedinak hammered in a 38th-minute penalty for handball awarded by the VAR to draw the Socceroos level at 1-1 with Denmark at in their World Cup Group C match in Samara on Thursday.
Only a small contingent of diehard English fans have made the journey to see the start of their team's World Cup campaign in Russia, with many others put off by fears of violence and a diplomatic crisis between London and Moscow.
France head into their World Cup opener against Australia in Kazan on Saturday sweating on the fitness of fullback Djibril Sidibe and under pressure to deliver an emphatic win to erase doubts about the cohesion of a team of brilliant individuals.
Argentina start as hot favourites to beat Iceland in their opening World Cup Group D match on Saturday but the toughest opponent for the runners-up four years ago may be themselves rather than the tiny tournament debutants.
When Russia and Saudi Arabia meet on Thursday form will be irrelevant as the world's biggest sporting festival explodes into life in Moscow.
Uruguay will head to the World Cup on a winning note after beating Uzbekistan 3-0 in a chilly warmup in front of their own fans on Thursday.
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