France edge past Paraguay in World Cup quarter-final; Koné reflects on physical contest
Match Report·5 July 2026·8h ago

France edge past Paraguay in World Cup quarter-final; Koné reflects on physical contest

Source: Forza Roma

France advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals with a narrow 1–0 victory over Paraguay, secured by a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé. The South American side proved a tough and physical opponent, but France maintained composure and achieved their objective. Midfielder Manu Koné was among those praised for his performance in a demanding match.

Koné, who currently plays for AS Roma, delivered a composed display in midfield against Paraguay's aggressive approach. He spoke about the nature of the contest after the match, noting the physicality on display and the tactical awareness required to navigate it without being drawn into unnecessary confrontation. The midfielder highlighted France's preparation and intelligence in handling the situation.

In his post-match comments to beIN Sports, Koné reflected: "It was a very hard match, but we are happy. Today we adapted. They were a rather... physical team! We choose our words carefully (smiles). We managed to stand up to our opponents in the challenges, we won 1–0, we were effective. There were some excessive interventions, but we didn't fall into their trap. The coach had warned us during the week. We were intelligent, we just wanted to win." France's disciplined approach proved decisive in securing progression to the next stage.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Machine-scraped Italian — paste into Google Translate for a full read.

La squadra di Deschamps si è qualificata vincendo di misura contro i sudamericani grazie a un rigore di Mbappé: nel postpartita i commenti sul tipo di partita condotta dalla squadra di Alfaro Redazione 5 luglio - 11:13 Svilar, voglia di Roma e Champions: il duro allenamento in vista del ritiro estivo Di fronte a un Paraguay ostico e per molti provocatorio, la Francia mantiene la pazienza e centra l'obiettivo: i quarti di finale del Mondiale. La squadra di Deschamps passa col risultato di 1-0 grazie al rigore trasformato da Kylian Mbappé, ancora decisivo e protagonista. Lo è stato anche Manu Koné, che ha strappato consensi con la sua prestazione: "È stata una partita molto dura, ma siamo contenti. Oggi ci siamo adattati. Loro erano una squadra piuttosto... fisica! Scegliamo le parole con cura (sorride, ndr). Siamo riusciti a tenere testa agli avversari nei contrasti, abbiamo vinto 1-0, siamo stati efficaci. Ci sono stati alcuni interventi un po' eccessivi, ma non siamo caduti nella loro trappola. L'allenatore ci aveva avvertito durante la settimana. Siamo stati intelligenti, volevamo solo vincere", le parole di Koné a beIN Sports. © RIPRODUZIONE RISERVATA Commenta Continua la lettura La Gazzetta dello Sport Greenwood: entro martedì l'offerta all'OM News AS Roma Koné fa scordare Tchouameni e in Francia lo esaltano: "Un combattente con qualità" La Gazzetta dello Sport Sogno Dovbyk, Genoa in corsa: il vero nodo è lo stipendio Il Messaggero Greenwood, lo scatto finale: Fenerbahce e Atletico in pressing. 'No' all'Al Hilal Commenti Invia Commento Tutti Leggi altri commenti

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