Soccer
Did scrappy Paraguay unlock a new side of France?
FIFA+: World Cup archive & programmes FREE on DAZN
Sometimes you just have to grind it out, as France showed on Saturday.
Les Bleus traded blows with a feisty Paraguay side to earn a 1-0 victory in the World Cup's round of 16, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a 70th-minute penalty to put his team over the line. And it was nothing like the France matches we've seen so far.
It was hot — temperatures at Philadelphia Stadium were pushing near the 40C mark.
- Read next | Tactical analysis: How Paraguay's defensive wall held against France until a substitute broke it down
It was chippy — Paraguay knew that they were not going to accomplish anything by trying to run with a French team made up of thoroughbreds, so intead they looked to make the match a physical one.
It was downright ugly to watch at times — compared to France's previous games at this World Cup, there was little to appeal to the footballing purist as their South American opponents slowed things down with a shove here, a nudge there or just an outright flying tackle.
But in the end, it was still a France victory.
Didier Deschamps' side cruised into this round by simply outclassing their opposition. They won their three group stage matches by a cumulative scoreline of 10-1. Then they humbled Sweden in the round of 32 with a 3-0 drubbing.
Much of the same was expected against Paraguay, the 41st-ranked team in the world that hadn't even quallified for the previous three World Cups and were seen as one of the "just happy to be here" sides making up the numbers. However, no one told the Paraguayans about this, and they scratched and clawed against the French in frustrating fashion, keeping the match scoreless until Mbappé's decider well after the hour mark.
That Les Bleus were able to match that energy, giving it as good as they took it, and still come out on top shows that they are ready for any type of fight.
Watch the world's best football on DAZN
After the World Cup is over, there is so much great football still to watch on DAZN.
Premier League: All English top flight matches live and in full in Canada
Serie A: Watch all 380 matches of the Italian league live in the UK and Canada. Also in the US in Spanish language
Champions League: Watch every match of the 2026/27 campaign in Canada. Three matches per round exclusively in the US, in Spanish language
National League: DAZN is the home of the National League, with every game available either live or on-demand, plus selected North and South matches
FIFA+ on DAZN : Watch over 7,000 live matches a year, plus World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, films, and player profiles for FREE
