France's qualification to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup left more than just the 1-0 victory over Paraguay. After the match played this Saturday, Kylian Mbappé and coach Didier Deschamps agreed that the French team was prepared to face a match of maximum physical and tactical demand, marked by the Albirroja's defensive approach. Les Bleus' next challenge will be Morocco, which they will face on Thursday in Boston.

Mbappé, author of the penalty that defined the tie, assured that the team knew in advance the type of match they would face against the South American team and highlighted France's ability to adapt to a context very different from that of an open duel.

Mbappé and Deschamps support the team's response

"I think we knew what kind of game we were going to have. I think the game we had and how we played it was very good today. We showed that we are a team that knew how to play offensive football, but if we have to put our hands in shit, we are going to put our hands in shit. Sorry for the expression. We don't have any problem with that," declared the Real Madrid forward at the end of the match.

The attacker was even more direct when referring to the intensity with which the match took place. "They also know how to play dirty football and they did it today. They thought that we were going to come to play in tuxedos, that we were only going to come to make nice plays and walls. We won, and even in that we were better than them," he said.

Mbappé also avoided dwelling on the classification and preferred to focus his attention on the next round of the tournament. "We are going to play, we know that they are a very good team and we are very happy to play against them. We are going to give our best to continue our path," he said about the next confrontation against Morocco.

For his part, Didier Deschamps refused to question the approach used by Paraguay during the round of 16 and defended the right of each team to compete with the style it considers appropriate.

“I'm not going to criticize Paraguay, each team plays the way it wants, although I would have been spared the insults from some in front, in some moments especially,” commented the French coach in the press conference after the match.

The coach explained that he had prepared his players for a close duel and recognized the merit of the rival, who had just eliminated Germany in the previous round. "We could have done more, but we must not take credit away from Paraguay. They eliminated Germany, which also has significant offensive potential. They qualified, and as long as they are zero to zero, they think it is normal that they can take the step and be in the quarterfinals, so it was a game of getting into the mud, to use another word," he concluded.