2026 World Cup: Paraguay denounces 'theft' after VAR penalty that eliminated them

France qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup on Saturday evening by beating Paraguay 1-0, on a penalty from Kylian Mbappé in the 70th minute. A hard-fought victory, but one that has been fiercely contested from Asuncion.

In Paraguay, the defeat is not sitting well. Republic President Santiago Peña praised his “warriors” on the pitch, while the national press focused on the decisive moment: the penalty awarded to France after VAR intervention. According to daily ABC, Uzbek referee Tantashev had initially made “the right decision” by not pointing to the penalty spot — before being contradicted by video assistance. The newspaper concedes that refereeing was “correct and measured” overall, but judges that VAR had a “negative impact” on this key action.

La Nacion drives the point home, directly targeting the VAR official, Chilean Juan Lara: “He showed no leniency toward the South American team by signaling a possible penalty.” Coach Gustavo Alfaro had himself expressed this conviction at a press conference, believing that the central referee’s initial decision was correct.

In the columns of both media outlets, supporters go further and outright denounce “a theft” orchestrated by the Tricolores and world football authorities. Some draw a parallel with Cape Verde’s elimination by Argentina, contested the previous day at the same stage of the competition: “There are FIFA favorites, we’ve seen it before.”

On the French side, the victory is judged deserved, and the disputed penalty has hardly sparked controversy. Now qualified for the quarter-finals, the Blues await their next opponent, while Paraguay heads home with the bitter conviction of having been wronged by technology.