‘Ugly football’ - Kylian Mbappe hits out at Paraguay’s ‘dirty’ tactics after firing France into the World Cup quarter-finals with his seventh goal of the tournament

Mbappe was the hero once again for Les Bleus, navigating a scorching afternoon in Philadelphia to notch his seventh goal of the tournament. His 70th-minute penalty was enough to separate the sides and move him level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. Despite the extreme heat and a barrage of physical challenges, the French captain remained composed, later suggesting that teams expecting a soft touch from the 2018 winners are mistaken.

"We knew what kind of match we were going to have," Mbappe said. "We can also get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready."

The match was played under an extreme heat warning, with temperatures hitting 100 degrees, but the atmosphere on the pitch was even more combustible. Paraguay’s defensive game plan focused on frustrating France through constant fouling and verbal sparring, leading to several confrontations between Mbappe and Matias Galarza.

The aggression didn't end with the final whistle, as players clashed in the centre circle. Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill even threw a ball at Mbappe’s back during the post-match exchanges. "I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn't pay me any attention, I lost my temper," Gill admitted afterwards, reflecting the frustration of the South American side.

Rayan Cherki, who appeared as a late substitute, echoed Mbappe's sentiments regarding the resilience of Didier Deschamps' squad. The midfielder suggested that while France are known for their flair, they possess a steely underside that makes them dangerous in tournament football. The gritty performance reinforces France's status as favourites as they head into the business end of the competition.

"We knew that today, we would show our technical and tactical abilities less," Cherki explained. "We reminded everyone that the France team is not just about football. If you go to war with us, this is the response you can expect."

Deschamps was quick to credit his players for maintaining their discipline against an opponent he accused of using "every trick in the book." While France had scored 13 goals in their previous four games, this victory required a different kind of maturity to see out the result under intense pressure.

"It wasn't easy. If we'd taken one of our chances late in the game, it would have been a much more comfortable finish," the France manager noted. "Paraguay use every trick in the book. It's not necessarily the kind of football people enjoy watching, but we stayed focused, and that's not easy to do." Defender William Saliba added a final word on the physical nature of the contest, simply stating: "We fought a battle. We won the battle."

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