Paraguay Gets Physical in a Heated World Cup Loss to France in Steamy Philadelphia
Mbappé scored his seventh World Cup goal as France overcame Paraguay’s physical approach and advanced after a VAR-awarded penalty.
- On Saturday, July 4, 2026, France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in a World Cup Round-of-16 match in Philadelphia, with star forward Kylian Mbappe converting a 70th-minute penalty kick to secure the victory.
- Paraguay employed a defensive 5-4-1 formation, aiming to disrupt Les Bleus with a highly physical approach. La Albirroja attempted to drag France into an ugly style of play on an extremely hot day.
- Tempers flared throughout the match as Paraguay targeted Mbappe, leading to mass confrontation in the 35th minute. In the 77th minute, Juan Jose Caceres kicked the forward in the right shin.
- France received three yellow cards while Paraguay earned one after the final whistle. Mbappe's seventh goal of the tournament prompted France coach Didier Deschamps to remark, "It's not the kind of football that draws people."
- Les Bleus advance to face Morocco on Thursday, July 9, in a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal. The quarterfinal match awaits after France survived this physical, confrontational contest.
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France, the World Cup Favorite, Lives On—With a Little Love From Local Fans
Fans react at the end of the World Cup Round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026. —Petr David Josek—APDuring France’s Round of 16 World Cup matchup against Paraguay, on July 4, in Philadelphia—250 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed some 3 miles from Philadelphia Stadium—David Thompson was decked out in American red, white, and blue in the stands. But he was also sporting face paint a…
After the elimination of Paraguay in the 8th final of the 2026 World Cup against France (1-0), on Saturday in Philadelphia, some Paraguayan media criticized the attitude of the captain of the Blues, the only scorer of the match on penalty.
The Olympiacos star commented on Paraguay's defensive approach to X and criticized Mikel Arteta's team's playing style.
The selection of France suffered more than the count, but managed to seal its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup after beating 1-0 to a Paraguay combative yesterday in Philadelphia.
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