France advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals, but their 1-0 win over Paraguay was anything but routine.

Kylian Mbappé settled the last-16 tie in Philadelphia with a 70th-minute penalty, sending Didier Deschamps’ side through to a meeting with Morocco. According to Sky Sports, referee Ilgiz Tantashev initially waved play on after Désiré Doué went down in the box, before changing his decision following a VAR review.

The goal was enough for France, but the debate afterwards centred less on the result and more on Paraguay’s physical approach, and the referee’s failure to control it.

Referee scrutiny overshadows French progress

The card count quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the night.

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France received three yellow cards, with Bradley Barcola, Manu Koné and Michael Olise all booked. Paraguay, despite repeated fouls and several flashpoints, finished the match without a single yellow or red card.

According to Fox Sports, Paraguay were listed with 12 fouls, while other reports put the figure at 13. Either way, the absence of a single booking for the South American side drew fierce criticism.

According to TV 2 Sport, former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger was among those stunned by the officiating. He said: “The referee is probably the worst I’ve seen this tournament.”

Former Danish referee Benjamin Leander also reacted strongly. In a translated post on X, he wrote: “The Loch Ness Monster, the Bermuda Triangle and zero cards for Paraguay stand as the three greatest mysteries in world history.”

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Paraguay’s edge turns into a backlash

Paraguay had already knocked out Germany in the previous round, and they arrived with a clear plan to make life uncomfortable for France.

Mbappé was repeatedly targeted, with several incidents around him sparking anger among pundits and former players. The France captain was pulled, pushed and challenged aggressively, yet the referee largely allowed the match to continue.

Quoted by BBC Sport, former England goalkeeper Joe Hart called Paraguay’s players “an absolute disgrace.”

The frustration was not limited to the tackles. Before Mbappé’s penalty, Paraguay players tried to delay the kick and disturb the spot, adding to the sense that the match had drifted away from normal control.

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Mbappé answers on the pitch

For France, the most important part was that Mbappé kept his composure.

The Real Madrid forward converted the penalty and later suggested France had expected exactly this kind of contest. According to RMC Sport, Mbappé said: “If we have to get our hands dirty, we will do it.”

It was a revealing comment after a night in which France were forced to win in a very different way from their earlier performances at the tournament.

They did not overwhelm Paraguay with attacking fluency. Instead, they had to stay calm, absorb provocation and wait for the moment that finally opened the match.

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Morocco now awaits France

France now move on to a quarter-final against Morocco, with the controversy in Philadelphia still likely to follow the team into the buildup.

Deschamps will be relieved that his side survived without losing discipline or a key player to injury. The performance was not elegant, but in a knockout match shaped by heat, fouls and tension, France found just enough control to move one step closer to another World Cup semi-final.

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