Rayan Cherki has claimed he was floored by the many fouls Paraguay were allowed to get away with by referee Ilgiz Tantashev during France's Round of 32 victory.
Kylian Mbappé's seventh strike of the tournament, a figure that puts him on a par with Lionel Messi, was enough to see off an adrenaline-fuelled Paraguay side that stirred controversy with their aggressive tactics.
That anger was further intensified due to Tantashev's failure to book a single Paraguayan player, despite their combative display drawing criticism from fans and pundits.
Cherki Stunned by Lack of Cards
France vs ParaguayKyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
The Manchester City star, who came on in the second half for Ousmane Dembele, expressed his surprise at the officiating after the game. "I didn't know Paraguay could do 30 fouls without getting a yellow card."
What made it particularly frustrating for the French players was that whilst no Paraguay players saw a card, three of their own (Bradley Barcola, Manu Kone and Michael Olise) were awarded cautions.
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Tantashev is an experienced referee at the top-level, having been a FIFA-listed ref for over a decade. However, it is almost impossible to explain how midfielder Matías Galarza was allowed to get away without a booking despite the many interactions he had with the French team.
"Today we reminded everyone that the French team is not just about football, it's about whoever wants to fight us, this is what you should be prepared for."
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Referee Ilgiz Tantashev reacts with France's Kylian Mbappe after players clashReferee Ilgiz Tantashev with Kylian Mbappe via REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Social media was lit up with scathing comments that included questioning the officiating throughout and that the referee should be investigated for how one-sided the card count was.
The consensus was that the referee had lost control of the game; it was poor game management at the highest level, which is strange given the strict process that FIFA uses when collating their World Cup officiating teams.
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One supporter called it "one of the worst referee performances" they'd seen at any level, whilst another stated it was a "shocking performance from the ref."
Former City player Joe Hart slammed the performance on the BBC's coverage, claiming it was an "absolute disgrace" and he wouldn't want his side to win in that manner.
It remains to be seen if he will face any action from FIFA ahead of the quarter-finals, and it will be interesting to see if he will be awarded any games in the final few rounds after this display.
France now face Morocco in the quarter-finals after the African side knocked out home nation Canada with a convincing three-goal victory, with the two sides meeting again following Les Bleus' semi-final win at Qatar in 2022.