French media lambaste Paraguay after gritty World Cup clash

France advanced to the World Cup quarter‑finals after a 1‑0 victory over Paraguay in a scorching round‑of‑16 encounter, but French newspapers blasted the South American side and the officiating, describing the match as a slog in oppressive heat for both teams. wrote, "We expected a match between attack and defence, and that’s what we got; an opponent who wanted to stretch time from the first whistle, and that’s what we got; a draining eighth‑final of the World Cup in the searing heat, and that’s what we got," and noted that Paraguay completed the game without receiving a single yellow card. Le Parisien highlighted the French plan, quoting "Les Bleus break through the wall of unsporting behaviour," and added that France reached the quarter‑finals on Saturday evening, escaping a trap set by the unfair South Americans and a partisan referee.

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Le Monde described the encounter as a "searing‑heat battle in which the French secured a 1‑0 win, while their opponents fought with the intensity of a nerve‑war," and likened the duel to a street fight, with a lax referee largely absent from maintaining order. Le Figaro called the win "hard‑fought" but dismissed it as "not a football match at all," placing blame on the "extraordinarily aggressive South Americans, a disastrous referee and a far from brilliant French eleven," and labeling Paraguay a "sad image for football."

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Coach Didier Deschamps guided France to the quarter‑finals despite the harsh media narrative, and the French side’s progression was confirmed after the 1‑0 win. The French press collectively condemned the officiating, calling the referee "partisan" and "largely absent," and argued that the lack of disciplinary action contributed to the chaotic nature of the match.