World Cup pundits tear into Paraguay for ‘disgusting’ approach against France

The 2026 World Cup round-of-16 clash between Paraguay and France may have ended 1-0 in favor of Les Bleus, but the real talking point after the game was the conduct of the South Americans. sources pundits Thomas Hitzlsperger, Joe Hart and Micah Richards did not hold back in their criticism of Paraguay’s tactics, calling them “disgusting” and accusing the team of going “way too far” in their attempts to unsettle the French side. “It wasn’t just physical – it was constant, deliberate provocation,” Hitzlsperger said on the broadcast. “Some of the challenges were over the top, and the way they tried to get under France’s skin was just unacceptable.” Hart echoed the sentiment, pointing out that while gamesmanship is part of football, Paraguay crossed a line. “There’s a difference between being competitive and being reckless. This was way too far.” Richards added that the approach backfired, saying, “You can’t win a World Cup knockout game by playing like that. France stayed calm and let their quality do the talking.” Paraguay, who had fought hard to reach the last 16, saw their tournament end in frustration. France now advance to the quarterfinals where they will face a tougher test, but this match will be remembered more for the controversy than the scoreline.