French sports daily L’Equipe has awarded Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev a rare rating of ‘1’ following his handling of France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16. The publication accused the official of allowing persistent aggression from the South American side to go unchecked whilst penalising French players during the tense knockout fixture.
The criticism centres on several unpunished incidents involving Paraguay’s Matías Galarza, who struck both Kylian Mbappé and Jules Koundé with his arm during separate moments of the match. Neither challenge resulted in a foul, despite television footage showing clear contact. Tantashev’s decision to overlook these altercations formed the basis of L’Equipe‘s harsh assessment, which described the referee as having “got almost everything wrong” in his management of the encounter.
Card count controversy
The statistical disparity in disciplinary records further fuelled post-match debate. France received three yellow cards throughout the contest, whilst Paraguay escaped without any caution despite committing numerous fouls. France manager Didier Deschamps declined to directly criticise the referee or the opposition in his post-match comments, though he highlighted the imbalance by noting there had been “lots of fouls against” his side.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart was less reserved during the BBC broadcast, branding Paraguay’s conduct a “disgrace” as he analysed their physical approach to the game. The criticism reflects growing concern about officiating consistency in the tournament’s latter stages, where single decisions can determine progression.
France advance despite frustration
The 1-0 scoreline secured France’s place in the quarter-finals but masked a fractious contest in which the 2022 finalists found themselves repeatedly targeted by robust challenges. Galarza’s apparent strikes on Mbappé and Koundé proved particularly contentious, with footage suggesting both incidents warranted at least a free-kick and possible card review.
Deschamps’ side will now prepare for their next knockout opponent, hoping for improved officiating that allows their attacking talent to flourish without the physical impediments that characterised the Paraguay encounter. The French Football Federation has not indicated whether it will lodge a formal complaint regarding Tantashev’s performance, though the widespread media condemnation suggests the issue will remain a talking point as the tournament progresses.