Gritty France Show They Can Also Get Their Hands Dirty
Mbappé scored his seventh goal of the tournament and became the only player with three knockout-stage goals in three World Cups.
- On Saturday in Philadelphia, France star Kylian Mbappé converted a 70th-minute penalty kick, securing a gritty 1-0 World Cup victory against a physical Paraguay side amid 100-degree heat.
- Facing persistent provocations during the 90-minute match, Les Bleus proved they could "get our hands dirty" to win, with Mbappé noting, "We can also play ugly football."
- France coach Didier Deschamps stated, "Paraguay use every trick in the book," while substitute Rayan Cherki warned, "If you go to war with us, this is the response you can expect."
- The team now prepares for Thursday's quarterfinal against Morocco in Foxborough, though yellow cards picked up by Bradley Barcola, Manu Kone, and Michael Olise threaten semi-final availability.
- This victory demonstrates tactical resilience beyond France's typical "Champagne football," keeping their pursuit of a third World Cup title alive after successfully navigating a match Germany failed to survive.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Gritty France show they can also get their hands dirty
NEW YORK, July 5 : For four matches at the World Cup, France had enchanted the world with their attacking play — spellbinding Champagne football that invited comparisons with some of the game’s greatest sides.Yet in Saturday’s trench war against Paraguay, Les Bleus showed they could get their hands dirt
The French striker of Real Madrid was very upset with the match proposed by the combination Guaraní and made it clear that they also know how to play the game.
France's star striker Kylian Mbappe reacted to the 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16 with a mixture of anger and satisfaction. "If we have to get our hands dirty, we'll get our hands dirty," said the 27-year-old. The match, characterized by extremely physical play from the losing side, showed one thing above all: France isn't just capable of dazzling football with bicycle kicks and delicate through balls. Les Bleus can also …
France captain Kylian Mbappe did not like the Paraguayan team's robust playing style, but at the same time acknowledged that his team is capable of playing similarly if necessary.
After the final whistle and France's passage to the quarterfinals against Morocco was confirmed, following their victory over Paraguay, Kylian Mbappé surprised everyone with his strong statements. “I think we knew what kind of match we were going to have. Today we played a very good game, and the way we played it was great. We showed that we are a team that knows how to play attacking football, but if we have to get our hands dirty, we'll get ou…
France's star reacted with satisfaction to the eight-time victory against Paraguay: "We also know how to play dirty football."
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