France secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, though the match was marred by their opponents’ confrontational style. Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart described Paraguay’s behavior as a disgrace, noting that no Paraguayan players received yellow cards despite numerous rough challenges. In contrast, France players like Manu Kone, Bradley Barcola, and Michael Olise were cautioned during the intense contest held in sweltering 38.3C heat in Philadelphia.
The decisive moment arrived 20 minutes from time when referee Ilgiz Tantashev awarded a penalty after a VAR review of a foul on Desire Doue by Diego Gomez. Kylian Mbappe converted the spot-kick, marking his seventh goal of the tournament and his 19th in 19 World Cup appearances. Before the kick, Paraguayan players attempted to disrupt the process, with Gustavo Velazquez even trying to scuff the penalty spot.
France manager Didier Deschamps, who became the first coach to record 10 World Cup knockout victories, noted that he had to instruct his larger players to protect Mbappe from aggressive challenges in the closing minutes. Despite the provocative antics, France maintained their composure. Mbappe acknowledged that while it was a difficult encounter against a team committed to physical play, his side proved they could win even when forced to play an ugly, gritty style of football. France will now face Morocco in the next round at Boston Stadium.
