France Beats Paraguay 1-0, but Referee Ilgiz Tantashev's Failure to Card Anyone in Red and White Is the Story

Since France's Round of 16 win over Paraguay was covered here on July 4, the fuller picture of what happened in Philadelphia has emerged. Paraguay's match management by Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev draws heavy criticism.

The Fouling Went Uncarded. All of It.

Paraguay midfielder Andrés Cubas clattering into Adrien Rabiot. Juan José Cáceres kicking Kylian Mbappé in the right shin. Gabriel Avalos dropping an elbow into the stomach of Dayot Upamecano. Matias Galarza putting his hand in Jules Kounde's face. Gustavo Velazquez trying to scuff the penalty spot before Mbappé's kick.

Paraguay received no yellow cards for these incidents.

Meanwhile, France collected three yellows: Manu Kone, Bradley Barcola, and Michael Olise all booked. According to BBC, Galarza engineered one of those by going to ground when Olise grabbed his shirt, drawing the foul.

Referee Tantashev did use the pitchside monitor to review the penalty call, and that part he got right. Diego Gomez stuck out his leg to bring down Désiré Doué in the 70th minute, and Mbappé converted. Tantashev's broader match management was, according to BBC, "widely criticised for being too weak."

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart did not mince words on BBC One: "Paraguay's players were an absolute disgrace. If they were on my team, I'd be dragging them off the pitch."

Former England defender Micah Richards, also on BBC One, acknowledged Paraguay's defensive quality while condemning their tactics: "Paraguay are better than that. Defensively they were so good and they didn't need to get into these antics."

Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Paraguay tried to wind up the France players, little shoves and nudges but not enough to get a yellow card. Every single dark art you can use."

Paraguay's Case, Stated Fairly

Paraguay knocked out Germany in the Round of 32 on penalties. Coming into this match as heavy underdogs against one of the tournament's most technically gifted sides, physical disruption was a rational game plan. Many elite teams have used exactly this approach. Critics of France's complaint would note that Mbappé himself—per Fox News—was "riling up the crowd" and ignoring a handshake attempt from Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after the final whistle. Gill told Fox News: "I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn't pay me any attention, I lost my temper," and threw the ball at Mbappé.

Mbappé's own response acknowledged the nature of the match without apology: "We knew what kind of match it was going to be. 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."

France coach Didier Deschamps said after the match: "They pull out every trick in the book. It's not the kind of football that draws people to the stadium. Each team played the way they want. But there were insults from the other bench that I could do without."

The "insults from the bench" detail, mentioned by Deschamps in his post-match news conference, is the one area where no specific source has elaborated on what was said or by whom.

Mbappé's Golden Boot Race

The penalty was Mbappé's seventh goal of the tournament. That ties him with Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup Golden Boot race, according to BBC. Whether that comparison holds as the knockout rounds continue is now a legitimate storyline.

What Comes Next

France's quarterfinal against Morocco is scheduled for Thursday at Gillette Stadium, with a 21:00 BST kickoff, according to BBC. Morocco has been one of the tournament's other defensive success stories. After the Paraguay match, France's ability to grind out results when their technical game is disrupted looks like a genuine asset rather than a liability.

Whether FIFA or the tournament's refereeing oversight body will review Tantashev's match management and the zero-card anomaly against Paraguay remains unclear. Post-match card reviews are possible under tournament rules, but no disciplinary action has been announced as of July 5.