Alfaro slams France for time-wasting: 'They knew how hard this win was'

Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro didn't hold back after his team's 1-0 Round of 16 loss to France in the 2026 World Cup. The only goal came from a Kylian Mbappé penalty midway through the second half, and Alfaro believes that tells the whole story. “In the past, France needed just 60 minutes to decide games – they'd already be ahead by then. Today, without that penalty, they wouldn't have had an edge. That's why they celebrated so wildly and started wasting time late on. They knew exactly how much this victory cost them,” Alfaro said. He made clear that his side earned respect. “France won in 2018, lost the final in Qatar 2022. We came back to the World Cup after a 16-year absence. The way we competed fills me with pride, considering all the unexpected challenges we faced.” Paraguay's performance silenced critics, but Alfaro's sharp words also sent a message: his team isn't here just to make up the numbers.