Orlando Gill left the World Cup with frustration, pride and one final argument.

Paraguay’s goalkeeper had been one of the stories of the tournament after helping his country knock out Germany on penalties. Against France, he again kept his side alive for long periods, only for Kylian Mbappé’s second-half penalty to end Paraguay’s run.

France won 1-0 in Philadelphia and advanced to face Morocco in the quarter-finals. Paraguay went home, but not quietly.

According to AP, via The Washington Post, Mbappé scored from the penalty spot in the 70th minute after a VAR review ruled that Diego Gómez had fouled Désiré Doué in the box.

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Gill left with pride and frustration

Gill felt Paraguay had pushed France close enough to force extra time.

According to TV 2 Sport, the goalkeeper said: “We can’t regret anything. We left everything on the field.”

He also pointed to the decisive penalty as the moment that changed the match.

“We could have ended up in extra time if they hadn’t gotten the penalty kick,” he said.

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It was a fair reflection of Paraguay’s mood. Gustavo Alfaro’s team had not controlled the ball for long periods, but they made France uncomfortable, defended with discipline and stayed in the match until the final whistle.

Gill also produced key saves late on, denying Mbappé twice in stoppage time and giving Paraguay one final chance to believe.

Mbappé makes the difference

For France, it was not a night of attacking elegance.

The favourites had most of the possession, but Paraguay’s compact defensive shape and aggressive approach made the match awkward from the start. France struggled to create clear chances until Doué came on and brought more directness from the left.

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According to The Guardian, Doué’s run into the box forced the penalty decision, before Mbappé sent Gill the wrong way from the spot.

It was Mbappé’s 19th World Cup goal, moving him closer to the all-time record and keeping France’s title hopes alive.

But it was also the kind of match that showed another side of France. They were made to fight, lose rhythm and accept a scrappy knockout win rather than a polished performance.

Paraguay reject criticism

Paraguay’s physical approach became one of the main talking points after the match.

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France felt Mbappé had been targeted, while several pundits criticised Paraguay for crossing the line. The South American side, however, saw it differently.

Quoted by AS, Gill said: “This is football. If they are not used to it, what are we going to do?”

He added: “Paraguay are like that. We are a tough team, very fierce physically, and we wanted to make ourselves felt on the pitch, to make ourselves hard to play against.”

That was exactly how the match looked.

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Paraguay did not try to outplay France. They tried to unsettle them, slow them down and drag them into a fight.

For large parts of the evening, it worked.

Handshake incident adds late drama

The tension did not end with the final whistle.

Gill tried to shake Mbappé’s hand after the match, but the France captain walked past him. Moments later, Gill threw the ball at Mbappé’s back, sparking another brief confrontation between the players.

Quoted by The Times of India, Gill said: “I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper.”

He added: “But anyway, that was all I did; I calmed down afterwards.”

The incident captured the emotion of Paraguay’s exit. They had come close to pushing France beyond normal time, but one penalty and one moment of Mbappé composure ended the dream.

Paraguay leave with heads high

Paraguay’s World Cup will still be remembered as a success.

They knocked out Germany, restored belief around the national team and found a new hero in Gill, whose saves and presence became central to their run.

France were ultimately too strong, but Paraguay made them suffer.

Gill’s comments reflected that balance. There was disappointment over the penalty and the narrow defeat, but also pride in a team that refused to be intimidated by one of the tournament favourites.

Paraguay are out.

But after a campaign built on defiance, sacrifice and physical edge, they leave with more respect than they arrived with.