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French World Cup superstar Kylian Mbappé was involved in a heated post-match incident with Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill on Saturday.
Mbappé, who scored from a penalty in the 70th minute, was riling up the crowd at Philadelphia Stadium following France’s 1-0 victory in the round of 16. As he shouted toward the crowd, he stood in front of Gill, who extended his hand to shake it and then tossed him the ball.
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Frenchman Kylian Mbappé (10) celebrates his team’s victory at the end of the World Cup round of 16 match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (Martín Meissner / AP)
Gill said he was going to shake Mbappé’s hand but lost his cool.
“I tried to shake his hand, but when he didn’t pay attention to me, I lost my temper,” Gill said.
It marked the end of a physical match between both squads. Gill said he believed his teammates handled their attack plan well.
Paraguayan midfielder Andrés Cubas grabbed Mbappé in the offensive third, causing a confrontation between the players in the 35th minute. Late in the first half, Matías Galarza contacted Mbappé without the ball. Juan José Cáceras kicked Mbappé in the right shin in the 77th minute.
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France’s Kylian Mbappé, left, and Paraguay’s Juan José Cáceres fight during a World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (Matt Slocum/AP)
Paraguay did not receive a yellow card for any of the fouls. France was the only team of the two that received yellow cards during the match: all three.
“We knew what kind of game it was going to be,” Mbappé said. “We can get our hands dirty, too. We know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. I guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready. Even in that kind of game, we were better than them.”
French coach Didier Deschamps criticized Paraguay’s physique.
Kylian Mbappé celebrates France’s victory as Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill holds the ball after the final whistle of a World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (Matt Slocum/AP)
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“They do every trick possible,” he said. “It’s not the type of football that attracts people to the stadium. Each team played how they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I couldn’t do without.”
