Referee Nicola Rizzoli's baby blue socks sets Twitter alight

France's win over Germany on Thursday night was no small-time affair: World Cup-holders and the host nation – probably the two most dominant teams in the competition – battling for a spot against an underwhelming Portugal in the final.

It was, as they say, a "Big Deal".

However, you wouldn't have known it from a quick scan of social media. Twitter spent the full 90 minutes of the game in Marseille focussing on something far more sartorial.

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Yes, while France's poster boy Antoine Griezmann was dazzling his way past German goalie Manuel Neuer, the Twittersphere was obsessed with the referee's socks - a light, almost baby blue which stood out against the rest of Italian Nicola Rizzoli's black strip.

Rizzoli might have been questioned on his decision to call a penalty against Germany - former referee Mark Halsey telling The Sun: "It was a soft penalty and the referee, Nicola Rizzoli of Italy, has gone looking for trouble and found it" - but it was his fashion choice which ended up being the most controversial decision of the night.

Even some current pros got involved with the ribbing:

Let that be a lesson to all officials. Wear the wrong thing on the pitch and you'll never get the fans to, ahem, put a sock in it.