"Turned a blind eye to the group assault": No yellow cards even in Paraguay's gang-style football... "Was Uzbekistan's top referee? Looked like a rookie." France explodes.

*This content was translated by AI.

Paraguay, which launched rough play against French players, remained at the center of controversy even after the match. Strong criticism was also directed at referee Djigui Tantashef, who issued not a single yellow card to Paraguayan players.

French outlet So Foot on the 5th (Korean time) stated, "This Round of 16 match resembled a group assault in a dark alley. Although France could have lost its composure and collapsed against such a vicious team, Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a penalty kick goal. It wasn't football, but we must be satisfied with the result," strongly criticizing Paraguay.

France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 match of the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup held at Philadelphia Stadium in the United States on this day. Mbappé scored the winning goal from a penalty kick in the 25th minute of the second half, and France advanced to the quarterfinals, continuing its journey toward its third World Cup title in history.

However, France struggled significantly against Paraguay's rough play. Throughout the match, Paraguay continued with harsh tackles and physical confrontations targeting French players, committing numerous unsportsmanlike acts that drew frowns. Even Mbappé later remarked, "We could have played dirty too," indirectly criticizing Paraguay.

Despite this, Paraguayan players received not a single yellow card. Tantashef, who holds Uzbekistan nationality, issued only three yellow cards to French players. So Foot heavily criticized Tantashef's match management.

The outlet noted, "This was also the most horrific match in the North American World Cup," adding, "Tantashef did not blow his whistle. Only after video assistant referee (VAR) intervention was a penalty kick declared—something that should have been called at least a thousand times."

It further stated, "Paraguay's defensive approach was as follows: tackling players without the ball, sending two players to obstruct France's corner kicks, kicking the ball into the stands instead of playing the game, damaging the penalty spot, slapping faces, and protesting against a frightened referee," mocking Paraguay's match conduct.

It continued, "Tantashef, who was named the best referee in the 2021 Uzbekistan League, was completely a rookie at the World Cup level. He failed to establish his own authority and could not issue even a single yellow card to Paraguay."

So Foot also explained, "Mbappé and Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) were furious, while Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain) was completely out of the game's flow. Ultimately, he was substituted off in the 16th minute of the second half."

French outlets criticizing Tantashef were not limited to one. L'Équipe also pointed out, "Tantashef issued only one yellow card against Paraguay—and it was not to a player but to senior coach Carlos González after the match ended."

L'Équipe meticulously listed Paraguay's unsportsmanlike plays, stating, "Tantashef surprisingly showed no reaction whatsoever." The outlet also gave Tantashef a rating of just 1 out of 10 points.

British outlets shared similar views. The UK's The Guardian noted regarding the scene where Paraguay's Matías Galarza (River Plate) struck Mbappé in the face while the ball was out of play, "The referee either did not see it or chose to ignore it." BBC commentators also argued that the same incident warranted a red card.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.