Deschamps hails France players after heated Paraguay encounter
The coach of the French national team Didier Deschamps has lamented the aggressive tactics deployed by the Paraguayan national team in a Round of 16 game played at the Philadelphia Stadium.
The former France midfielder who was speaking after the game praised his team for keeping their cool in the sweltering heat against a highly aggressive Paraguay side to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
Deschamps while speaking to the press noted that the opposition used every resource possible, adding: “It is maybe not the kind of football that brings people to the stadium, playing with that aggression”.
He also admitted that he feared his captain, Kylian Mbappé, would be targeted and “chopped down,” requiring him to instruct other players to shield Mbappé in the closing stages of the grueling encounter.
“We stayed focused on our game. It was difficult, they had lots of men behind the ball and they defend well,” added Deschamps.
“Obviously, the temperatures made it hard to play with intensity and without that they defended well.”
During the game, France, struggled to break through an exceptionally stubborn and defensive Paraguay setup which deployed highly physical tactics and defensive organisation to frustrate the French.
However, Les Blues broke the deadlock in the 70th minute of the game when substitute Desire Doue was brought down by Paraguay’s Diego Gomez after making a mazy run in the opponents 18-yard box.
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Following a lengthy VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty with Kylian Mbappe stepping up to score and give France a 1-0 lead in the crunchy encounter and victory for his team.
The French national team will now square up against Morocco in the quarterfinals of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup in a game set to be played at the Boston Stadium on July 9, 2026.
Key match statistics: France Vs Paraguay
Possession: France 76% – 24% Paraguay
Total Shots: France 15 – 5 Paraguay
Shots on Target: France 5 – 1 Paraguay
Corner Kicks: France 12 – 2 Paraguay
Fouls Committed: France 11 – 13 Paraguay
Yellow Cards: France 3 – 0 Paraguay
