France led Uruguay 1-0 at halftime of the first quarter-final of the World Cup on Friday after Raphael Varane glanced in a superb header from an Antoine Griezmann free kick five minutes before the break.

Uruguay, without injured striker Edinson Cavani, had started full of running and were close to equalising with a great header by Martin Caceres but France were on course to meet either Brazil or Belgium in the semi-finals.