Kylian Mbappe stood tall in a bruising World Cup 2026 clash as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 to set up a quarter-final clash against Morocco.
Mbappe converted from the spot in the 70th minute for his 19th career World Cup goal and seventh of this tournament, level with Argentina great Lionel Messi atop the 2026 Golden Boot chart but leading on assists.
It was all Les Bleus managed in a match that turned into a combat in sweltering conditions in Philadelphia.
France somehow ended the match with all three bookings from Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev, even as Paraguay pushed the boundaries of fair play with their physical game.
France manager Didier Deschamps, however, saw the glass as half full and was simply glad to make it through.
“I've seen a lot of things,” Deschamps said. “I have prepared the players. The players were expecting this game.
“I do not want to criticise Paraguay. Each team plays the way they want. But there were some insults from the other bench which I could have done without.”
Deschamps said his players were lucky to escape the match without a red.
“The most important is by the end of the game that there were no disagreements and that we [did not] get another card. We got three yellow cards with a lot of fouls.
“I'm not saying that we did not make any fouls, but there were a lot from both teams.”
Manu Kone, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were all booked. More importantly, Mbappe avoided getting a yellow card despite persistent Paraguayan provocation. By the end of the match, Paraguay led 13-11 in fouls but were not reprimanded.
Deschamps lauded Mbappe's maturity in handling the tricky circumstances.
“There was a lot of media saying that he has evolved,” Deschamps said. “I don't want to contradict myself, but Kylian has an image for you that is far from reality.
“I don't want to lie. I've said from the first day that he had this spirit. He gave all the athletic efforts. He's a great top-notch player on the pitch. But when he speaks, he speaks for the entire group.”
Meanwhile, Paraguay manager Gustavo Alfaro admitted the end of the tournament was bittersweet.
“I leave the World Cup with peace of mind knowing that we played,” Alfaro said. “I am sad because I wanted to go further, and defeat will never make you happy, of course.
“I do not like losing at anything. And as I was telling the team in the dressing room, if you want to be a winner, the first thing you have to do is learn how to lose.”
With Alfaro's contract up at the end of the year, the 63-year-old Argentine said he was unsure of his future. But he still holds deep appreciation for his adopted country.
“Today I have open wounds. I'm bleeding. I cannot really reflect because I am overwhelmed right now. I think I need to wait for things to calm down,” Alfaro said.
“Things need to calm down and we'll see what happens. I honestly do not know what I'll do professionally.”
