French superstar Kylian Mbappé says France proved they can win in more than one way after edging past Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16, insisting his team is not afraid of a physical battle when the situation demands it.
Speaking after France’s hard-fought 1-0 victory in Philadelphia on Saturday, the Real Madrid forward praised his teammates for adapting to the nature of the contest and showing they could match Paraguay’s intensity.
“I think we knew what kind of match we were going to have,” Mbappé said. “We played very well today, both in the way we approached the game and how we executed our plan.”
The French captain explained that while France is known for its attacking quality and entertaining football, the squad is equally capable of digging deep when faced with a combative opponent.
“We showed that we’re a team that knows how to play attacking football, but if we have to get our hands dirty, we’ll get them dirty,” he said. “We have no problem with that.”
Mbappé, who scored the game’s only goal to send France into the quarter-finals, dismissed any suggestion that Les Bleus lacked the toughness required for knockout football.
“They thought we were going to come here and play in tuxedos, that we were just going to come here to make pretty plays and one-twos,” he said. “We won, and even in that, we were better than them.”
His comments reflected France’s determined display against a resilient Paraguay side that made life difficult throughout the contest. Despite the physical nature of the match, Didier Deschamps’ men remained composed and found the breakthrough thanks to Mbappé’s decisive finish.
With a place in the last eight secured, the 27-year-old quickly shifted his attention to France’s next challenge—a quarter-final showdown against Morocco in Boston on Thursday.
“We know they’re a very good team, and we’re very happy to be playing against them,” Mbappé said. “Now the most important thing is to recover well. We’re going to give our best to continue our journey.”
France will head into the quarter-finals full of confidence, knowing they have shown they can combine their trademark attacking flair with the grit and resilience often needed to succeed in World Cup knockout football.
