France made it through to the quarter-final of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. Defeating Paraguay 0-1 in the round of 16 clash, it was thanks to a clinical penalty by Kylian Mbappรฉ that helped France qualify. It is worth noting that Paraguay came into the clash on the back of eliminating Germany from the tournament in the previous round.ย
However, the side employed completely different tactics against France. Playing ultra-defensively, Paraguay did not go for the goal much throughout the game but gave away a penalty that cost the side the game.ย
Speaking on the same, former Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic took centre stage and talked about how he would have dealt with Paraguayโs tactics had he been on the pitch and condemned the side for the same.ย
“If I played tonight, I would have got 4 or 5 red cards. France showed composure; they stayed relaxed, they gave them a smile. That is the best way to respond – smile and don’t fall into their games,โ Ibrahimovic said on Fox Sports.ย
Didier Deschamps how he protected Mbappe in the game
Furthermore, France head coach Didier Deschamps came forward and talked about how he asked two of the biggest players in the French team to guard Mbappe from Paraguayโs players.
“I asked the two biggest lads to go and stand around Kylian at the end because they were going to chop him down. It wasn’t easy. They use every trick in the book. It’s not the kind of football that will bring people to the stadium, but they defended well. It is always difficult against these South American teams,โ Deschamps told the reporters after the game.ย
With France having reached the quarter-final, the side will look to maintain their form and hopefully go all the way. It could be interesting to see how they fare in the upcoming matches. With Kylian Mbappรฉ in top form, France will be banking on his abilities in the next game as well, and the skipper has been leading them from the front and will hope for another good showing.ย
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