SportFootballWorld Cup 2026France edged past Paraguay during an encounter overshadowed by the South Americans' actions07:25, 05 Jul 2026Updated 07:30, 05 Jul 2026Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro has been angered after being forced to deny accusations that insults were directed at Didier Deschamps and his late mother. Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty was enough to see the favourites progress to the World Cup quarter-finals during an ill-tempered clash.‌The France boss was forced to return to his homeland during the group stages and miss the 4-1 win over Norway due to the death of his mother. He returned to the dugout for the 3-0 win over Sweden in the Round of 32 and was in the hotseat for the tense encounter with Paraguay, who knocked out Germany in the previous round.‌The South American manager said when asked about insults towards his counterpart: "No, absolutely not. You can't sink that low in football. Never. I thought you were referring to the exchanges between players during the match. I respect him enormously and admire him greatly.‌"Yes, there were some disputes, particularly regarding VAR. Some were calling for a penalty, others weren't. But, honestly, I've never heard that kind of insult. And knowing my staff, I'm convinced that none of them would behave that way."The encounter was full-blooded with the Paraguayans roughing up the European opposition. Deschamps revealed during his post-match press conference that Les Bleus' bench was subjected to insults, he said: "I could have done without the insults on the bench. Especially some of them."Article continues belowThere will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story.Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌FIFA World CupWorld Cup 2026Didier Deschamps