France's forward Kylian Mbappe and Paraguay's defender Gustavo Gomez fight for the ball during the 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match between Paraguay and France at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026.
France coach Didier Deschamps hailed his side for keeping their cool against an aggressive Paraguay team in heatwave conditions on Saturday as the favourites reached the quarter-finals of the Fifa World Cup.
"It wasn't easy. They used every resource possible. It is maybe not the kind of football that brings people to the stadium, playing with that aggression, exaggerating everything," Deschamps told French broadcaster M6.
Kylian Mbappe decided the game with a penalty in the 70th minute on a sweltering afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, following a foul on Desire Doue.
Mbappe's goal was his seventh so far at the tournament, pulling him level again with Lionel Messi as the joint-leading scorer.
