Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal as France survived a physical World Cup Round of 32 match against Paraguay, hitting back at their opponents' tactics by claiming they know how to play 'dirty football'. The Real Madrid striker converted a second-half penalty to secure a 1-0 victory in Philadelphia, but the match was overshadowed by Paraguay's aggressive approach aimed at provoking Mbappe and his teammates.
Mbappe Responds to Paraguay's Aggressive Tactics
Paraguay, who had stunned Germany in the previous round, targeted Mbappe with relentless kicking and attempts to provoke him into a reaction. However, Mbappe kept his composure and later criticized their tactics in a post-match interview. 'We knew what kind of match we were going to have,' Mbappe said, per RMC Sport. 'If we have to get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play dirty football. They thought we were going to come and play in tuxedos, but we were there. Even in that game, we were better than them. That's their football; there's no right or wrong way to play football. They tried to get us that way, but we won.'
France's Discipline Tested in Heated Encounter
Despite Paraguay's physicality, referee Ilgiz Tantashev issued no yellow cards to Paraguay, while France ended the match with more bookings. France defender William Saliba revealed the team had been warned about Paraguay's tactics. 'The coach warned us two or three days before to stay focused on the game. He showed us some videos. They were going to get in our faces, commit fouls, provoke us. We had to stay focused on the game because if we started to lose energy, get confused and lose our focus, it wasn't going to work. So, we stayed focused,' Saliba told reporters. 'It's not easy and it also feels good sometimes to win hard-fought matches like this because since the start of the competition, we've been used to scoring three. Today, it's a 1-0 victory, but it has the same merit.'
France Advance to Quarter-Finals
The victory sends France into the quarter-finals, where they will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Mbappe, who is the joint leading scorer in the tournament, emphasized that France can adapt to any style of play. The match highlighted the mental resilience of Didier Deschamps' side, who refused to be drawn into Paraguay's disruptive tactics. Despite the extreme heat in Philadelphia, France maintained their composure to secure a hard-fought win.
