Mbappe's bold statement: "Dirty football? We can do it too"... How bad was Paraguay's 'all-time worst World Cup scandal'?

*This content was translated by AI.

Favored France overcame Paraguay's excessive unsportsmanlike conduct and rough challenges through skill to advance to the quarterfinals. However, post-match criticism focused more intensely on Paraguay's disgraceful behavior and the referee's incompetent officiating that allowed it to go unchecked than on France's victory.

British outlet 'The Telegraph' reported on the 5th (Korea time), stating, "Paraguay's achievement of reaching the Round of 16 by defeating Germany was completely overshadowed by their unsportsmanlike conduct in this match," adding, "They swung elbows throughout the game and committed reckless tackles without restraint."

Paraguay's primary target that day was undoubtedly France's ace Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid). The Paraguayan defense committed a foul within the first minute of the match to stop Mbappe and the second-line attackers, persistently resorting to rough fouls throughout the game.

Even Andres Cubas completely kicked Adrian Rabiou, Juan Caceres blatantly struck Mbappe's leg, yet the referee issued no cards whatsoever. Matias Galarza even committed the heinous act of pushing Jules Kounde in the face with his hand.

What further raised eyebrows was the attitude of Paraguayan players who constantly pressured and shouted at referee Italo Tantaiche while protesting the officiating. After the match, Gustavo Velasquez approached French players to openly provoke them, escalating into physical altercations.

Compounding the situation was the referee's excessively lenient officiating, pushing Paraguay's unsportsmanlike conduct beyond all bounds. Although Paraguay committed 13 official fouls during the match—more than France's 11—and pushed players more aggressively, they surprisingly finished the game without receiving a single caution card. Even when Gabriel Avalos committed a serious foul by elbowing Dayot Upamecano in the abdomen late in the game while Paraguay was chasing, no card was shown.

Instead, only French players Manu Koné, Bradley Barcola, and Michael Olise received three yellow cards for protesting against Paraguay's rough play. France managed to secure a victory via a penalty kick thanks solely to video assistant referee (VAR) intervention rather than the on-field referee's decision.

Paraguay's unsportsmanlike conduct reached its peak during a critical scoring threat situation. The media explained, "Once the penalty kick was confirmed through VAR, Paraguayan players surrounded the referee, shouting and delaying the kick," adding, "Gustavo Velasquez even engaged in childish obstruction by stomping on and damaging the grass at the penalty spot." In fact, Mbappe could only take the penalty kick after the referee noticed the damage and restored the grass, demonstrating how far Paraguay's conduct was from proper sportsmanship.

British major newspaper 'BBC' also strongly criticized "Paraguay's despicable football." Former England national team goalkeeper Joe Hart told the media, "The behavior of Paraguayan players is absolutely unforgivable disgrace," and added, "If my teammates had done such things, I would have immediately dragged them off the field. The fact that not a single caution card was issued is shocking."

Former German national team midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger also remarked, "Whether you are a French fan or a neutral observer, no one will now respect Paraguay as a team. Their conduct is beyond disgrace—it's terrible."

Mbappe, who suffered under Paraguay's intense pressure, delivered a blunt response in his post-match interview. Mbappe stated, "They probably thought we only knew how to play football elegantly while wearing tuxedos," but added, "However, we also know how to engage in dirty fights. If we have to play dirty football with blood on our hands, we are willing to do so. We won the match and were far superior to Paraguay."

Rayan Cherki responded maturely, stating, "France can play beautiful football, but this match demonstrated they are not afraid of war if necessary."

While Paraguay, stained by unsportsmanlike conduct, packed their bags first, France, having advanced to the quarterfinals, will face Morocco at Boston Stadium on the 10th in a bid to reach the semifinals.

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*This content was translated by AI.