Paraguay termed 'disgusting' by critics for roughing up France during World Cup round of 16 clash: 'It's shameful'

Paraguay have come under intense scrutiny following their recent 0-1 defeat to France in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match on Sunday.

The Kylian Mbappe-led France made it to the semifinals, with the French captain scoring from the penalty spot to hand Les Blues a major edge. But players of Paraguay did not go easy on their French counterparts at the Lincoln Financial Field.

Paraguay played dirty against France

The 2026 World Cup round of 16 clash in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, saw the Paraguayan footballers making rough tackles on the French players and attempting to get inside their heads to gain an advantage. The live broadcast showed one player hitting a French player's shin, while another attempted to talk trash to Mbappe, who laughed it off.

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Paraguay players tried every nook and cranny to play ugly and attempt to gain an advantage. France was pushed to the limit but maintained their composure, holding them off for a hard-fought 1-0 victory to advance to the round of 16.

The post-match had a tense moment too, as Mbappe shunned Orlando Gill's handshake. The goalkeeper threw the ball to the No. 10 striker's back, but he chose to ignore it and continue celebrating with the fans.

Critics lash out on Paraguay footballers

Following the match, critics lashed out at Paraguay for roughing up on France in Philadelphia. Fans on the social media platform 'X' called the team's acts 'shameful' and 'disgusting'.

A user also called out the match referee after he didn't issue a yellow card to a Paraguayan player for a rough tackle. Another wondered how Paraguay did not receive a single foul for all their dirty fouls.

Correspondent Samuel Luckhurst claimed Paraguay had no real right to be in the knockout tie against France.

France will now take on Morocco in the quarterfinal on Thursday in Foxborough. The matchup carries added intrigue, as Les Bleus had previously defeated Morocco 2‑0 in the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.