Kylian Mbappé didn’t just win a penalty and score it. He also won the postgame press conference.
France squeaked past Paraguay 1-0 in the World Cup round of 16, and their captain had some choice words for the way Paraguay approached the match. Mbappé converted from the spot in the 70th minute, but the real damage came after the final whistle.
“We knew what kind of game we were going to have,” Mbappé told M6, France’s broadcast partner. “We showed that we were not just a team that knows how to play offensive football. If we have to dig our hands through shit, we’ll dig our hands through shit.”
Dirty work pays off
Paraguay sat deep, packed the box, and dared France to break them down. For the first hour, it worked. Mbappé hit the post early. Antoine Griezmann forced a save. But Paris Saint-Germain’s star forward said Paraguay miscalculated what France was willing to do.
“They thought we’d come playing wearing tuxedos doing great plays, one-twos and whatnot,” Mbappé said. “It’s their way of playing.”
The French captain made it clear that Les Bleus can grind when they need to. Didier Deschamps’ squad has been knocked for sometimes lacking a Plan B, especially when opponents sit back. Mbappé said their ability to win ugly should scare future opponents.
“We showed that, even in dirty football, we are superior,” he added.
Paraguay’s game plan frustrated France for long stretches. But one penalty call — a handball in the box that VAR confirmed — was all it took. Mbappé stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
What comes next for France
France advances to the quarterfinals but hasn’t exactly set the tournament on fire. They beat Austria and drew with Denmark before this narrow win. The attacking flow from the 2022 run hasn’t shown up yet.
Mbappé doesn’t seem worried. He said the team’s mentality is different this year. They’re not trying to be pretty. They’re trying to survive and advance.
“If we have to dig our hands through shit, we’ll do it,” he repeated. No translator needed for that one.
Paraguay, for their part, held their heads high. They came within one penalty of forcing extra time. But their approach — defend, counter, hope — didn’t surprise anyone. It just didn’t work.
France now awaits a quarterfinal opponent. Whoever it is, they know what’s coming. Tuxedos? Not today. Work boots and shovels? That’s the French way now.
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