France's narrow victory triggers rare ‘1’ rating for Uzbek referee

France edged Paraguay 1‑0 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a match that also saw Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev receive a rare ‘1’ rating from L’Équipe. The narrow victory kept Les Bleus on course for the quarter‑finals. Didier Deschamps said he would not criticise the referee or the South American opposition, but he noted that France received three yellow cards despite ‘lots of fouls against [them]’. The French side endured the disciplinary imbalance throughout the encounter. Paraguay’s aggression went unpunished, with Matías Galarza swinging an arm at Kylian Mbappé and later at Jules Koundé without a foul being called. Both incidents passed without any card, highlighting the referee’s leniency toward the South American side.

Referee under fire as France advances past Paraguay in Round of 16

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart labelled Paraguay’s conduct a ‘disgrace’ during the BBC broadcast of the fixture. His comment underscored the frustration felt by many observers over the lack of disciplinary action. Ilgiz Tantashev’s management of the game attracted considerable criticism, culminating in L’Équipe awarding him a rare ‘1’ rating. The publication wrote, “The Uzbek referee incredibly allowed the Paraguayan’s aggressions to go completely unpunished and kept his cards for the France players. He got almost everything wrong.”

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France’s win propels them into the quarter‑finals, while Paraguay’s tournament ends at the last‑16 stage. The result reinforces Les Bleus’ momentum heading into the next round. The coverage of the match was compiled by Luke Entwistle.