Paraguay's tactics against France in the 2026 World Cup sparked debate over whether their approach was embarrassing or necessary to compete against a superior team. Despite being criticized for faking and wasting time, their defensive commitment was noteworthy.
Paraguay's Tactics Debate Against France: Embarrassing or the Best Way
Why this is important
This match shows the significant difference in transfer value and quality between France and Paraguay, with Kylian Mbappe taking center stage. Paraguay's defensive tactics, although criticized, reflect the challenges smaller teams face on the world stage, especially when competing against superior teams. It also highlights the importance of strategy in competitions like the 2026 World Cup, where every team must find a way to compete.
Background
Kylian Mbappe, as the French star, continues to demonstrate his abilities on the world stage, and his performance in this match adds to his transfer value. Meanwhile, Paraguay, despite the defeat, showed potential in the development of their young players, who could be valuable assets in the upcoming transfer market.
Main Points
- Paraguay's Tactics Debate Against France: Embarrassing or the Best Way.
- Paraguay's tactics against France in the 2026 World Cup sparked debate over whether their approach was embarrassing or necessary to compete against a superior team.
- Kylian Mbappe remains central to France's plans.
On Saturday night in Philadelphia, France managed to beat Paraguay 1-0 thanks to Kylian Mbappe's penalty, which sent them through to the last 16 of the World Cup. Thierry Henry, the former France striker, in his comments stated, "Football has won. I don't want to talk about Paraguay." Paraguay's tactics of trying to frustrate and disrupt France's play have disappointed Henry as well as the current team and coach.
Paraguay's defensive display stood out with feints, heavy challenges and an off-the-ball attack on Mbappe that only referee Ilgiz Tantashev apparently believed was not worthy of a yellow card. Despite this, Paraguay finished the match with no players getting cards, while France got three cards. It was clear that Paraguay had plans to disrupt France, using "every trick in the book" according to France coach Didier Deschamps.
Was Paraguay's performance considered "embarrassing", as some said? Or is it the best and perhaps only strategy to beat a team whose player transfer value is almost nine times theirs? Stuart James and Thom Harris of The Athletic debate this controversial night in Philadelphia.
Paraguay has no shame. "Our team, throughout the competition, wanted to play. Even against the best teams, we didn't want to play anti-football, we always tried to compete directly with our opponents," said Cape Verde coach Bubista after his team was knocked out of the World Cup on Friday night after participating in one of the best matches in the history of the tournament.
In short, there are ways to lose a soccer match — and Paraguay didn't do it. On Saturday night in Philadelphia, Gustavo Alfaro's team came against France looking to fight. Provocation, intimidation, feigning injury — you name it, Paraguay was involved in it. Except in the eyes of the referee who seems to forget that his main job is to uphold the laws of the game. Maybe the hot weather influenced the Uzbek referee's decision.
It is very difficult to find another explanation. Paraguay managed to go through a World Cup match for the first time since 1998 without picking up a yellow card, while France somehow got three, including one for Michael Olise late in the game in line with the poor standard of refereeing throughout the match. Remember that substitute teacher at school who couldn't control the class? That's Tantashev.
Matias Galarza, who had earlier roughed up Mbappe in an off-ball incident during France's attack, dramatically collapsed late in the second half, clutching his face and writhing on the ground like a fish strangled on the deck of a ship. The referee, embarrassingly, got caught up in the game and ended up carding Olise.
Speaking of shame, Paraguay has no shame. The principle of winning at all costs. Or, as the case may be, lose at all costs. Yes, there is a huge difference in quality between the two squads, both on paper and on the pitch, but Cape Verde are also in a similar position and do not resort to playing, in the words of their manager, "anti-football" against Argentina.
To be clear, this doesn't mean Paraguay should roll out the red carpet for France or try to play their own way. There's nothing wrong with defending, stacking up, giving up possession, everyone getting behind the ball, defending hard, playing fast, hoping for set pieces — all of that is acceptable. In fact, playing hard is also allowed. There is more than one way to play soccer. But the thing is, Paraguay doesn't play football in Philadelphia. There is a term for what they did against France; called s***housery. Dark arts. Rolling around, feigning injury, wasting time, talking dirty, breaking the rules, distracting the referee — we know it all. Some people watching on television like those things. For others, it's a bit annoying and means that, in the case of France against Paraguay, you quickly stop backing the underdogs.
Seeing Gustavo Velazquez cunningly — but not so cunningly that it wasn't caught on camera — put his foot between Ousmane Dembele's legs and scratch the penalty spot before Mbappe took his shot was something we expected at that moment. As for Galarza, he spent the match trying to get Mbappe sent off. Actually, trying to get anyone with a France jersey sent off. Galarza finished the game with such passion that, much to Mbappe's amusement, the Paraguayan kicked the corner flag. And that, from a Paraguayan perspective, says it all. Nobody's here to cheat, but the defensive commitment is impressive.
I will not defend any aspect of Paraguay's performance. Velazquez and his attempt to scratch the penalty spot with his shoe were the lowest action on the pitch, while many of the tough challenges late in the match — shoulders and elbows involved — often crossed the line. Galarza basically hit Mbappe in the first half to stop him, before falling theatrically to get a card for Olise at the end, a particularly ridiculous card considering everything that came before. None of this is good for the audience, the players, or the image of the game. However, I can't let this Paraguayan team go with a fire like this, their achievements explained only by shameless football and fouls. Their defensive commitment was striking, compact and aggressive in a 5-4-1 formation throughout the match, limiting the heavily favored tournament favorites to only long shots for over an hour. Their concentration never waned, their energy levels were maintained under the hot sun, and they made the game more interesting despite the stark difference in quality on the pitch. According to Transfermarkt, France's starting XI is worth almost nine times as much as their opponents. Deschamps' team has scored 13 goals in four matches, sweeping a competitive Swedish side in the previous round. However, it took them nearly an hour to record a single shot on target at Philadelphia, in what was clearly their toughest game yet.
Paraguay didn't offer much, but their game plan was clearly to frustrate France; to harass them, and to fight through penalties. They got some concessions from the officials in a truly astonishing display of refereeing, but Paraguay played within the confines of this broken rule, and took every advantage from a game in which they had very little.
It doesn't look pretty, and many people — including Stuart — have pointed to Cape Verde as an example of how underdog football should be played. However, Paraguay played to their strengths. They have stamina, physicality and experienced defenders, and don't have many expressive players who can take Argentina far. If they had opened up, tried to take the game a little more in France's direction, their weaknesses would likely have been horribly exposed. They played the only way they could keep the game going. Again, no one is here to pretend, waste time, or cheat. But in terms of their defensive commitment and tenacity to see through their game plan, Paraguay deserve at least a little credit for almost stopping such an excellent team.
What happened next
With this victory, France continues their journey at the 2026 World Cup, hoping to maintain their good form. Meanwhile, Paraguay may need to evaluate their approach in facing big teams in the future, especially ahead of the next competition. Discussions on tactics and development of young players such as Matias Galarza and Gustavo Velazquez will be key to their progress in the transfer market and upcoming tournaments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which player scored a goal for France in the match against Paraguay?
Kylian Mbappe scores a goal for France with a penalty.
What is Paraguay's strategy in the match against France?
Paraguay used defensive tactics that attempted to frustrate the French game.
What was Thierry Henry's reaction to Paraguay's performance?
Thierry Henry stated that he did not want to discuss Paraguay and felt that 'Football has won'.
When does the match between France and Paraguay take place?
The game takes place on Saturday night in Philadelphia.
What did the French coach say about Paraguay's tactics?
France coach Didier Deschamps said that Paraguay used 'every trick in the book' to disrupt his team.
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