Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro was forced to deny accusations that insults were directed at France manager Didier Deschamps and his late mother, after Les Bleus secured their place in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals.
A second-half penalty from Kylian Mbappé was enough to send the tournament favorites through to the last eight—where they will face Morocco—following an ill-tempered clash played under punishing heat in Philadelphia.
Deschamps had previously been forced to return to France during the group stage, missing the 4-1 win over Norway due to the passing of his mother. Reflecting on the tension during the Paraguay match, Deschamps stated:
“I could have done without the insults from the bench. Especially some of them.”
Alfaro Rejects the Accusations
Alfaro firmly rejected the French manager’s claims regarding the insults to him and his late mother, responding:
“No, absolutely not. You cannot sink that low in football… never. I thought you were referring to the heated exchanges between players during the match. I respect him enormously and admire him greatly.”
He added: “Yes, there were some disputes, particularly regarding VAR, where some were calling for a penalty and others were protesting. But honestly, I never heard that kind of insult. Knowing my coaching staff, I am completely convinced that none of them would ever behave that way.”
“Football is not war,” Alfaro continued. “I am not going to apologize for something that, to my knowledge, did not happen. However, I am totally opposed to this kind of behavior.”
“The very first thing I did after the final whistle was look for Didier Deschamps. I wished him all the best in reaching the final and becoming world champion. I had already told him before the match: he has a fantastic team,” the Paraguay boss concluded.
