France star Kylian Mbappé has said the French team also know how to play ugly football, after their hardfought 1-0 win against Paraguay in Saturday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 clash.
Mbappé broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute, following a foul on substitute Desire Doue.
That was enough for Les Bleus, whose red-, white- and blue-clad fans looked plenty patriotic on July Fourth in the city where the United States was founded 250 years ago.
After celebrating the win that put France in the quarterfinals, Mbappé sent a message to the other teams left at the World Cup, saying his side can also get its “hands dirty” and adjust to “ugly” tactics.
Also Read: Vinicius Backs Mbappe To Become A Legend At Real Madrid
“We knew what kind of match we were going to have,” Mbappé was quoted by ESPN. “We can also get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready.”
Mbappé, 27, has seven goals in this World Cup, tied with Lionel Messi, and 19 in his 19 World Cup matches — just one behind the Argentine, who holds the record for the most goals scored in the competition.
Mbappé also became the only player to score at least three goals in the knockout stage of three World Cups.
The Real Madrid star would hope to continue his impressive scoring form when France take on Morocco in the quarterfinals.
