Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) [US], July 5 (ANI): France head coach Didier Deschamps said Paraguay used 'every trick in the book' during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 encounter, while praising his players for staying composed in a hard-fought 1-0 victory that sent Les Bleus into the quarterfinals, according to Reuters.

Speaking after the match, Deschamps said he had instructed his players to protect striker Kylian Mbappe, anticipating physical challenges from the opposition.

'I asked the two biggest lads to go and stand around Kylian at the end because they were going to chop him down,' Deschamps said, as quoted by Reuters.

The France coach acknowledged Paraguay's disciplined defensive performance but criticised their approach, saying it made for an unattractive contest.

'It wasn't easy. They use every trick in the book. It's not the kind of football that will bring people to the stadium, but they defended well. It is always difficult against these South American teams,' he said, as quoted by Reuters.

France booked a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16 at Lincoln Financial Field, thanks to Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty.

Despite dominating possession, Les Bleus found it difficult to break down Paraguay's disciplined defence, with the South Americans frustrating Didier Deschamps' side throughout the opening half.

The match became only the third FIFA World Cup knockout fixture since 1966 to reach halftime without a single shot on target, while tensions flared following a challenge on Mbappe that sparked a mass confrontation.

France finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute after Desire Doue won a penalty, which Mbappe converted calmly. Paraguay pressed for an equaliser until the final whistle, but France held firm to secure victory and set up a quarterfinal clash with Morocco. (ANI)