Kylian Mbappé of France experienced a tense moment with Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after their World Cup Round of 16 match on Saturday. Mbappé had scored a penalty in the 70th minute, leading to France’s 1-0 win at Philadelphia Stadium.
Following the victory, Mbappé engaged with the crowd, inadvertently stepping in front of Gill. As Gill extended a handshake, a misunderstanding occurred, causing Gill to throw the ball.
Gill explained, “I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper.” It was the conclusion of an intense game between the teams. Gill noted that his teammates executed their strategy well.
During the match, Paraguay’s Andrés Cubas initiated a physical confrontation with Mbappé in the 35th minute. Matias Galarza also made contact off the ball, and in the 77th minute, Juan José Cáceres kicked Mbappé in the shin.
Interestingly, Paraguay did not receive any yellow cards for these actions. In contrast, France received three yellow cards.
Mbappé commented on the match’s rough nature, stating, “We knew what kind of match it was going to be… We know how to play ugly football… Even at that kind of game, we were better than them.”
Coach Didier Deschamps criticized Paraguay’s tactics, remarking, “They pull out every trick in the book… there were insults from the other bench that I could do without.”