Kylian Mbappe helped France to reach the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay, but the match ended with ugly scenes after the final whistle.France, considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, was forced to a physical and tense battle by Paraguay in the heat of Philadelphia. Mbappe, who spent most of the game receiving heavy challenges, scored the only goal from the penalty spot after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Desire Doue. After the final whistle, tensions dissipated during the traditional handshake line. Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill tried to shake Mbappe’s hand, but the French captain ignored the gesture and turned to celebrate with the supporters. An angry Gill then threw the ball at Mbappe, hitting him in the back, although the France star chose not to respond.Take a look:“I tried to shake his hand, but since he paid no attention to me, I lost my temper,” Gill later admitted. “But that was all. I calmed down later.”Mbappe’s winning goal was his seventh of the tournament, taking him back to the top of the Golden Boot rankings. He also took his World Cup career tally to 19 goals, leaving him just one behind Lionel Messi’s tournament record.Reflecting on the heated contest, Mbappe insisted France had been prepared for Paraguay’s aggressive approach.“We knew what kind of match it was going to be,” Mbappe said. “We can still get our hands dirty. We know how to play dirty football. They probably thought we’d come back in tuxedos, but we were ready.”The win sends France into the quarter-finals for a fourth straight World Cup, where they will face Morocco, a team they defeated in the semi-finals of the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
