"Absolute Disgrace": Ex-England Star Rips Into Paraguay After France World Cup Clash
While France booked their place in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 win, the Paraguayan players were heavily criticised for their behaviour during the match.
- Joe Hart has lashed out at Paraguay after their aggressively defensive display against France in the World Cup
- Paraguay players went unpunished during the entire match, while France received three yellow cards
- 'They were an absolute disgrace. If they were with me, I'd be dragging them off the pitch,' said Hart
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has lashed out at Paraguay after their aggressively defensive display against France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash in Philadelphia. While France booked their place in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 win, the Paraguayan players were heavily criticised for their behaviour during the match. After beating Germany to enter the Round of 16, the South American side was praised for their heroic performances. However, La Albirroja's approach against Kylian Mbappe and Co was labelled too aggressive by fans and experts alike.
Former Manchester City and England goalkeeper Hart tore into the South American side, claiming that the Paraguayan players were a disgrace.
"Paraguay's players were an absolute disgrace. If they were on my team, I'd be dragging them off the pitch," Hart said on BBC One.
Paraguay players went unpunished during the entire match, including cynical challenges on Mbappe and Adrien Rabiot, while France received three yellow cards throughout the game.
Former England defender Micah Richards praised Paraguay for being defensively solid but criticised them for their unnecessary antics.
"It was embarrassing to see. Paraguay are better than that. Defensively they were so good and they didn't need to get into these antics," said Richards.
France secured victory through Mbappe's 70th-minute penalty after substitute Desire Doue won a spot-kick by drawing a foul from Diego Gomez. The goal proved decisive in a match where Paraguay's disciplined defending kept Les Bleus under pressure for long periods.
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 capatain Mbappe, however, refused to shake hands with the Paraguayan players after the final whistle.
France will now face Morocco in the quaterfinals in what will be a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final
(With ANI Inputs)
Paraguay
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