France arrived in Philadelphia carrying the tag of favourites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with many tipping them as the team to beat. But instead of the free-flowing football they have become known for, Didier Deschamps‘ side were dragged into a bruising, ill-tempered battle by Paraguay before grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 win in sweltering conditions. The only goal came from Kylian Mbappe‘s penalty.
The France captain spent much of the evening at the receiving end of Paraguay’s relentless physical approach. While he largely kept his composure throughout the contest, he made sure Paraguay knew exactly how he felt once the final whistle blew.
As players gathered for the customary post-match handshakes, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill extended his hand towards Mbappe. The French star, however, ignored the gesture and instead turned towards the France supporters to celebrate the victory.
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Gill did not take kindly to the snub.
Frustrated after the defeat, the goalkeeper hurled the ball towards Mbappe, striking him on the back. The France captain, however, chose not to react and walked away.
“I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,” Gill admitted afterwards. “But that was all. I calmed down afterwards.”
Mbappe ultimately had the final say. His first-half penalty, awarded after a VAR review for Diego Gomez’s foul inside the box, proved enough to send France into the quarterfinals for a fourth consecutive World Cup.
The strike was Mbappe’s seventh goal of the tournament, taking him back to the top of the Golden Boot race. It was also his 19th career World Cup goal, leaving him just one short of equalling Lionel Messi’s all-time tournament record.
“We knew what kind of match it was going to be,” Mbappe said. “We can also get our hands dirty. We know how to play ugly football. They probably thought we’d turn up in tuxedos, but we were ready.”
France will now face Morocco in the quarterfinal on Thursday in Foxborough. The French had beaten Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
