Right call? Referee denies penalty to Paraguay for foul on Mbappé

In the closing stages of the first half of the 2026 World Cup Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay, one of the match's most talked-about moments unfolded.

In the 40th minute, France's captain Kylian Mbappé tangled with a defender and went down in the box. The forward immediately appealed to the referee, demanding a penalty. However, the official waved play on, indicating there was no foul and instructing the teams to continue. In the referee’s view, the contact was not significant enough to warrant a spot-kick.

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It’s worth noting that the score remained 0-0 at halftime. The winner of this match will face Morocco in the quarter-finals.