Mbappé penalty sinks Paraguay, France reach quarterfinals

Mbappé penalty sends France through

France are into the quarterfinals. Kylian Mbappé scored from the spot and your team held on to beat Paraguay 1–0 in the round of 16 on Saturday (1) (2) (4). It was ugly, physical, and exactly the kind of match that can sink a World Cup campaign. France survived it.

Deschamps: 'I could have done without the insults'

Didier Deschamps did not hide his frustration after the whistle. "Les insultes, je m'en serais bien passé," he said, the insults, I could have done without them (3). Reports indicate the Paraguay bench directed abuse at Deschamps' mother during the match, something the Paraguay coach later tried to downplay (14).

Mbappé and Gill clash after full-time

It nearly boiled over at the end. Kylian Mbappé and Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill had to be separated after the final whistle, with footage showing a ball thrown in the aftermath (16). Deschamps said he had asked "the two biggest lads" in the squad to shield Mbappé late on because the Paraguayans were going to chop him down (1, reddit source).

Diallo slams Chilavert's racist remarks

FFP president Philippe Diallo issued a sharp public condemnation after former Paraguay goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert called Les Bleus "a squad from Africa" before the match. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the racist remarks made by José Luis Chilavert against the French national team, which undermine the values of respect, fraternity, and diversity in our football," Diallo wrote. "If he was once a great goalkeeper, this man has now fallen into disgrace" (10).

Morocco await in the quarters

Your next opponent is Morocco, who reached the quarterfinals and will pose a very different kind of test after the Paraguay brawl (2) (8) (9). Deschamps acknowledged the value of surviving a bruising night: "Deshalb ist es gut, auch solch eine Partie durchgemacht zu haben", that is why it is good to have gone through a match like this (7).

Fan reactions

The referee is all anyone can talk about. L'Équipe handed him a 1/10 rating, and Reddit threads are filled with questions about whether officials can be investigated for bias after Paraguay escaped without a single card despite relentless fouls. The consensus: France got through despite the officiating, not because of it. Read more here.