(foto: Getty Images)
Paraguayan media applauded referee Ilgiz Tantashev's performance against France, despite widespread criticism over his decision not to book a single Paraguayan player.
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The refereeing performance in France's World Cup Round of 16 victory over Paraguay has become one of the biggest talking points of the tournament, but opinions on the match appear to depend entirely on which side of the Atlantic you ask.
Much of the football world questioned the decisions of Kazakh referee Ilgiz Tantashev, particularly after Paraguay completed the match without receiving a single yellow card despite a series of robust challenges.
France, meanwhile, finished the game with three yellow cards, even though Didier Deschamps' side spent much of the evening trying to cope with Paraguay's physical approach.
Kylian Mbappé was repeatedly targeted by Paraguayan defenders throughout the match, forcing France to make unusual tactical adjustments during the closing stages.
"Towards the end, I told our two tallest players to stay close to Kylian because otherwise they would mow him down," Deschamps said after the final whistle.
Outside Paraguay, many supporters and pundits questioned how such an aggressive display resulted in no disciplinary action for the South American side.
In Paraguay, however, the reaction was strikingly different.
Several Paraguayan media outlets praised Tantashev's performance, arguing that he allowed the game to flow naturally, applied a consistent standard throughout the match and maintained control without unnecessary interruptions.
Most of the criticism from Paraguay focused only on the penalty awarded to France, while the overall refereeing display received positive reviews.
The contrast in reactions highlighted how differently the same match can be interpreted. What many neutral observers described as an overly lenient performance was viewed in Paraguay as strong, balanced officiating.
Despite the debate surrounding the referee, one fact remains unchanged. Paraguay's World Cup journey came to an end, while France advanced to the quarter-finals and continued their pursuit of another world title.