"We fought like lions. France couldn't play their usual game", Coach Alfaro said at the post-match press conference. He added, "They couldn't find a solution, and it took individual skill and a VAR-confirmed penalty to make a difference". Alfaro defended his strategy, stating his responsibility was to leverage his players' strengths, arguing that directly confronting a team with many attacking talents would be "suicidal".

Paraguay narrowly advanced from the group stage, marking their return to the World Cup after 16 years. They then surprisingly eliminated Germany in the round of 16 via a penalty shootout. In the round of 16, they faced France, a team that had scored 13 goals in the tournament. Paraguay adopted a highly defensive approach to thwart France's players.

Paraguay national team coach Gustavo Alfaro gives instructions during the 0-1 loss to France in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 at Philadelphia stadium in the US, on 4/7. Photo: AP

Before the 70th minute, Paraguay had allowed France only one shot on target. However, substitute forward Desire Doue disrupted the defense, leading to a penalty. Kylian Mbappe flawlessly converted, opening the scoring and returning to the top of the goal-scoring list with 7 goals, matching Messi's tally but with two more assists. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill, voted man of the match, believed Paraguay had effectively shut down all avenues to their goal. "Without that penalty, the match result would likely have been different", Gill said.

Paraguay faced criticism after the match for fouls and unsporting behavior against French players. Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev was also mentioned for overlooking several fouls by the South American team. Paraguay committed 12 fouls without receiving a single yellow card, despite three off-the-ball challenges on Dayot Upamecano, Mbappe, and Jules Kounde. The French captain was also kicked in the shin after a retaliatory act by Caceres. "This is football. If they're not used to it, how would we know?", goalkeeper Gill commented.

Alfaro shared the emotional toll of the match, stating that many players cried in the locker room after giving their all. "It took us 16 years to return here", Alfaro reflected. He contrasted this with Mbappe, who "won the World Cup in his first participation, reached the final in his second, and is now competing for the top scorer title". Alfaro concluded, "Some Paraguay players have never even met their fathers. We tried our best for a better result, but we will leave with pride after giving our utmost competitiveness".

French forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates in front of Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after Paraguay's 0-1 loss to France in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 at Philadelphia stadium in the US, on 4/7. Photo: AP

The Argentine coach praised Mbappe as a player who forces opponents to completely change their tactics. Paraguay assigned two to three players to mark him, as the French captain constantly attacked spaces and made runs, giving defenders no rest. Alfaro also denied accusations that Paraguay members had insulted Coach Didier Deschamps and his late mother. "No, absolutely not. You cannot stoop that low in football. Never", he asserted.

The 63-year-old coach admitted the two teams had a dispute related to the penalty. However, Alfaro stated he heard no insults as alleged, affirming that if he had, he would have been the first to react, considering such behavior "unacceptable". After the match, Alfaro's first action was to seek out Deschamps to congratulate France on reaching the final and becoming world champions.

Another incident occurred after the match when goalkeeper Gill attempted to shake Mbappe's hand but was ignored. Gill admitted reacting impulsively by throwing the ball at his opponent's back. "Clearly, I got angry. Then I calmed down", the 26-year-old goalkeeper said. "I congratulate France on an excellent campaign and they deserve to be world champion contenders".