The FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay resulted in several rough tackles and on-field battles between footballers from both teams. A player who was specifically targeted by Paraguay players was Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe was tackled repeatedly by the opponents and he was left fuming with the fact that none of the Paraguay footballers received any card for the challenges. Two specific incidents that caught the attention of fans – Matias Galarza tackled Kylian Mbappe off the ball when the French attacker was running towards goal while Juan Jose Caceres hit Mbappe on the leg after losing the ball. Mbappe even got into a spat with the Paraguay players over a strong tackle from Andres Cubas.
Mbappe ended up scoring the winning goal as France clinched the game 1-0 to reach the quarterfinals.
Things are getting chippy between France & Paraguay players after a hard tackle on Mbappe.pic.twitter.com/OFWZMTSYUS
— Ratioed Sports (@RatioedSports) July 4, 2026
Meanwhile, France head coach Didier Deschamps came out in support of captain Kylian Mbappe following criticism over his leadership of the national team, saying the striker’s public image does not reflect the person he is within the squad.
Speaking to reporters after France secured a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals, Deschamps dismissed suggestions that Mbappe had changed since taking over the captaincy.
Look at the Paraguayan hitting Kylian Mbappe right in front of the ref and not even a yellow card issued. Nah! FIFA IS FAACKING BIASED AND WAS ON A MISSION TO ELIMINATE FRANCE FOR WHATEVER REASON. This is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/WLTJPvVPUu
— GBEMISOLA CFC(@QUEENOFDBLUES1) July 5, 2026
“No, he hasn’t changed. You make him seem like a dictator. Kylian has an image for some people on the outside that doesn’t correspond at all to reality,” Deschamps told reporters after the match in a video shared by news outlet LIBERTA DEPRE.
Deschamps also said his players were prepared for Paraguay’s physical approach and praised captain Kylian Mbappe’s leadership after Les Bleus edged past the South American side 1-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals, according to Reuters.
This is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.
Mbappe could have lost his entire career and maybe even his life from this savage and brutal light kick against his shin guard. pic.twitter.com/bSFdl5XI2i
— Gain of Fauci (@DschlopesIsBack) July 5, 2026
Reflecting on the fiercely contested Round of 16 encounter, Deschamps said his squad had anticipated the nature of the match and managed to remain disciplined throughout.
“I’ve seen a lot of things,” Deschamps said, as quoted by Reuters.
“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,” he added.
“The most important thing is that by the end of the game, there were no disagreements and that we (did not) get another card,” he said.
(With ANI inputs)
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