Read 6 minutesPhiladelphia (USA)Updated: 5 July 2026 06:51 AM IST
The gloriously multi-faceted French know many ways to kill a pesky cat that disturbs their sleep. They could startle them with their touch; They can seduce them with their wits; They can pin them with their muscles; They can play the piano, they can even wield a sledgehammer, making them one of the deadliest propositions in the competition. 1-0 win over Paraguay Ensuring a quarter-final was their victory for Brown, his ability to outmaneuver men trying to wrestle, sometimes literally, and sometimes harming him with a brand of cynicism that strangely went unpunished.
Won because they don’t generate auras; But create an irresistible energy that makes them feel unbreakable; That even extreme tactics cannot shake them. It was not France’s inability to score more goals in a game that Thierry Henry commented, “football won in the end”, but their tools and knowledge of how to nullify any strategy thrown at them. Kylian Mbappe, who scored the only goal after a Dzire Dover penalty, had his eyes burning with glee: “They thought we were going down in tuxedos, but we know how to play rough football — and we were still better than them!” The earlier line was a warning to the world: “We’ve shown that we’re not just a football team; if we have to put our hands in s—, we’ll put our hands in s—.”
The French forward was also in no mood for forgiveness after the game. He ignored Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gil’s handshake and turned his attention to the fans. Gill reacted by throwing the ball on his back.
The indifference shown by France should not be surprising. Some of the French jewels are digs from the gritty background, crime-ridden Paris banlieues. They have faced tragedy, wild swings in form and career-threatening injuries. Paraguayan ruffianism will not scare them. His default method was to frustrate France’s dogged defence, which he did clinically. Five men are ready to give their lives on the backline, three men are brutally probing them and two others are buzzing from the front. The paths were rigidly blocked, the lines remained unbroken and the grime impenetrable.
But against a fanciful orchestra like France, they need more than fierce resistance. An unimaginative, ill-advised move could disrupt France’s defensive maze. It would irritate them, break the rhythm of France, break their cohesion and frustrate them under the blistering heat. Europe may be dealing with seasonal heat waves, but Paraguay endures a similarly punishing climate year-round. The deeper they drag the game, the more likely they’ll turn into an unlikely upset. The longer France went goalless, the more they started playing falsetto notes. They were just hoping against hope.
The first target was Tait Mbappe. He was marked for strangulation, three fast and rough men tailing, nibbling and sometimes hugging him. Perhaps, the inhuman goal machine is human after all. His imagined precision deserted him. His long-range punts gave him away, he attempted a daring kung-fu kick to score, but was swiped by thick air. kicked into the dark arts; Andres Cubas grabbed his body and pulled him down; He won the free kick; Matias Galaraza beat Mbappe when he didn’t even have the ball. The referee and his teammates didn’t notice or bother. Corners were shirt-pulling slugfests; Just before the first hydration break, they were clutching each other’s throats, verbals flying, referees dove into waving the white flag. Paraguay fans looked forward to the rivalry; People in France outnumber them. The brass bands of Paraguay pierced the roar of the box in the French throat. A guard with biceps strapped stood up from their sleeves and stared piercingly at the frenzied crowd. It didn’t calm down right away.
The scenes were straight out of a Latin American gangster movie, without the rattle of bullets or spaghetti western beating in the background. France didn’t waver, perhaps knowing they’d have to flex their muscles against the South Americans more than anyone else they’ve faced. He returned the same currency with interest. William Saliba knocks out Manuel Almiron. Deot Upmecano bulldozed Julio Enciso. In the magnificence of their attackers, the impenetrability of the backline has disappeared. The blue wall was only broken twice in five games. Both centre-backs threatened Paraguay’s attackers, jeered them when they missed and ran faster than either of them could. Paraguay enjoyed two attempts on goal, one of which was a strain on Mike Mignon’s reflexes. If Paraguay came with the idea of roughing up France, they got roughed up.
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Yet for all their hooliganism and rage-baiting, the yellow card tally read: France 3; Paraguay 0. Although Diego Gomez’s stud-marks on Dew, tip-toeing through mutilated limbs as if he were walking on water, went unnoticed before VAR intervened. The foul was bleeding clear and Mbappe fired home a terrific shot. He was venting all his anger. As the ball went into the net, he lashed out at goalkeeper Gill. Gil, hero of Paraguay’s shootout against Germany, tried to finish off Mbappe before kick-off. A few of Gill’s colleagues were pinched. Mbappe has seen it all, the tricks and the tantrums. He remained undaunted.
Later he shook his hips with the French fans. He gambled around the stadium and greeted them. Every playoff win means something; It had more meaning. France showed that they have many ways to kill the cat. And subdue the lions they can face.