Mbappe: ’We can play ugly too’ after France reach World Cup

France captain Kylian Mbappe said his side proved they can win "ugly" after edging Paraguay 1-0 to book their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
The French were widely expected to overcome Paraguay, despite their opponents arriving full of confidence after eliminating Germany in a penalty shootout. A first-half penalty converted by Mbappe at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday (July 5) proved enough to send Didier Deschamps' side into the last eight.
Mbappe was one of the central figures throughout the match, not only for scoring the winner but also for several heated exchanges with Paraguay players. Even after the final whistle, the France captain appeared frustrated by the physical approach adopted by Gustavo Alfaro's men.
Speaking in his post-match interview on the pitch, Mbappe said: "We already knew what kind of match was waiting for us. But today we played a great game. We proved that we're not just a team that plays beautiful football. When necessary, we can play ugly too—excuse my language."
He added: "We have no problem with that. They thought we would only come here to play pretty passes, one-twos and entertaining football. But we also know how to play a physical, ugly game. We won today, and in that aspect we were better than them as well."
Attention now turns to France's quarter-final clash against Morocco, where Mbappe is set to face his close friend Achraf Hakimi.
"I think he has already sent me a message," Mbappe said. "But right now our full focus is on the match. We know Morocco are a very strong team. We're happy to play against them, and we'll give everything we have to reach the next round."

MMR