France are through to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, but their qualification against Paraguay was anything but easy. In a tight, tense and highly physical match, Les Bleus had to fight until the very end to win 1-0 and continue their run in the competition.
Goalscorer on the night, Kylian Mbappé perfectly summed up France’s mindset after the match. The France captain knew this round of 16 clash would be tricky. Against a tough, provocative Paraguay side that often pushed the limits, France had to show something different from their usual attacking football.
France Answered the Physical Battle
“We knew what kind of match we were going to have,” Kylian Mbappé explained. For him, this victory is even a good thing for the group, because it proves that France can win in different ways. Not only with spectacular moves, fast play and technical control.
The France captain fully embraced a strong statement. “If we have to get our hands dirty, we’ll get our hands dirty,” he said. A clear message: Les Bleus are not only capable of playing beautiful football, they also know how to respond when the match becomes dirty, broken up and difficult.
Mbappé also felt that Paraguay believed they could drag France into a mental and physical trap. “They thought we were going to come and play in a tuxedo, just to produce nice moves and one-twos. But we know how to play dirty football too,” he added. For the French striker, the best response came on the pitch, as Les Bleus accepted the fight without losing their heads, without drifting out of the match and without falling for the provocations.
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