According to an ESPN interview on Sunday, Paraguayan defender Canale believes that neither the French nor the German national teams enjoy physical contact.
Nearly a month has passed since France faced Paraguay in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. On July 4th in Philadelphia, the French team, which had performed well in the group stage and the Round of 16 against Sweden, did not have an easy time advancing to the quarterfinals, thanks to the tenacity of their opponents.
Unsurprisingly, France found themselves in a stalemate against Paraguay. Paraguay may not have been aiming for victory, but their frequent fouls and provocations hoped to cause French players, especially Mbappe, to lose their composure and be sent off. Ultimately, France secured a 1-0 victory over Paraguay thanks to a penalty converted by their captain.
France remembers it as a hard-fought victory, while Paraguay has a different perspective. Canale, who came on as a substitute in the 58th minute, believes that both the French players and Paraguay's Round of 32 opponents, Germany, seem less inclined to engage in physical confrontations.
The 30-year-old Lanús defender told ESPN, "Germans don't like physical contact, and neither do the French. If you press them a little, they lose their rhythm." Canale also believes that South American football is different from European football because it's "more difficult to play." His reasoning is that anyone can beat anyone else. And in his view, that's certainly true.
