Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill has accused Kylian Mbappe of ignoring his attempt to shake hands after France‘s last-32 win, sparking a brief flashpoint as both sides left the pitch.

Paraguay’s exit from the World Cup was overshadowed by a post-match flare-up between goalkeeper Orlando Gill and Mbappe, following what was a tense second-half full of frustrations, fouls and a questionable refereeing performance.

Gill offered his hand to the French forward after the final whistle in Philadelphia, only for the Real Madrid striker to walk past, still celebrating with the crowd. The San Lorenzo ‘keeper responded by throwing the match ball at Mbappe’s back, triggering a brief confrontation near the centre circle.

Gill Hits Out at Mbappe’s Reaction

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Speaking afterwards (per The Sun), Gill made no attempt to hide his frustration, saying: “Kylian Mbappe has p***ed me off. I stretched my hand to congratulate him, but he ignored me.” He said he’d stretched out his hand to congratulate the France striker but was snubbed, framing the snub as typical of how bigger nations react to Paraguay’s combative style.

Gill doubled down on that approach, making clear his side had set out from the first whistle to make their physical presence felt whenever the ball came near.

The incident capped a bruising night for Paraguay, who committed a flurry of fouls without picking up a single yellow card — a decision that’s already drawn separate criticism of the referee.

What made matters worse is that France were awarded three yellow cards in total despite all the aggressive play coming from the likes of Juan Jose Caceres, Andres Cubas and Matias Galarza. With the latter honing in on Mbappe in the dying minutes of the game.

Mbappe Says France Were Braced for a Physical Battle

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Mbappe, who scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot in the 70th minute, said France had gone in fully expecting a tough, combative test rather than an open game.

He suggested Paraguay had misjudged France as a side that would only try to play through neat combinations, insisting Les Bleus showed they could match the physicality when required.

It’s a notion that Rayan Cherki shared in his post-match interview, noting France’s resilience in the face of Paraguay’s aggression.

France progressed to the quarter-finals, where they’ll face Morocco in a repeat of their 2022 semi-final clash, while Paraguay head home after the last-32 defeat.

Morocco and France will lock horns for the second World Cup in a row, with Les Bleus enjoying a 2-0 victory over the African nation in Qatar in 2022.

Manchester United have opened talks to sign a Brazilian midfielder, according to David Ornstein.

It’s no secret that the Red Devils are pushing to bring in multiple midfield additions in the summer transfer window as they look to replace Casemiro.

United do appear to be closing in on a move to sign Ederson from Atalanta, but any deal has slowed down due to his involvement at the World Cup.

Either way, the Red Devils need to bring in multiple midfield reinforcements in the summer transfer window, especially if Manuel Ugarte’s injury is serious.

Casemiro’s departure leaves a big hole in the midfield of United, and they need a bigger squad regardless due to competing in the Champions League.

Man Utd Open Talks for Midfielder

According to The Athletic’s Ornstein, Manchester United have held talks with the agent of Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos in the summer transfer window.

Santos, described as world-class by former manager Liam Rosenior, is looking to establish himself as a regular starter, and that is unlikely to happen at Chelsea going forward.

United are yet to hold talks with Chelsea for the Brazilian midfielder, but multiple suitors have contacted his agent.

Chelsea do value the midfielder highly, but they would not block a move if it suited all parties involved.

It remains to be seen how much Chelsea are going to demand for Santos in the summer transfer window, but United have already made their move.

Man Utd’s priority isn’t changing

Manchester United’s priority in the summer transfer window clearly isn’t changing as they look to bring in new midfield additions.

The Red Devils have been working tirelessly to try and strengthen in this position, but they have struggled to get deals over the line over the last few months.

Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes were both key targets for the Manchester club, but they have joined Manchester City and Tottenham, respectively.

United need to ensure that they start getting deals over the line, or they could end up panic-buying towards the end of the summer transfer window.

England stars have a big showdown with Mexico on the horizon and Thomas Tuchel’s troops could turn to Viagra to help them beat the World Cup co-hosts.

The two nations do battle at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday at 6 pm local time, with a 1 am kick-off for fans in the UK. There had been talk of FIFA potentially moving the game six hours ahead due to concerns over safety and the weather.

The conditions are proving an issue for Tuchel’s Three Lions, and the term ‘altitude’ has been thrown around more than ever before ahead of an English game. That’s because the players have to adapt to the high altitude and brave a fearsome atmosphere inside the 87,523-capacity stadium.

England Hoping Viagra Falls Mexico

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The Azteca is located at 7,220 feet (2,240 metres) above sea level. Tuchel has already admitted that playing at high altitude will be “impossible” and is a “big disadvantage” ahead of the clash with Javier Aguirre’s side.

Viagra could be the answer for England as they would be allowed to use the prescription medication which is often used to treat erectile dysfunction. Tuchel will hope that his players are all functioning on the same wavelength against the Mexicans.

Tackling high altitudes is where Viagra comes in handy, as it also fixes high blood pressure. Known as ‘Vitamin V’ it widens blood vessels in the lungs after blocking an enzyme that restricts them.

The over-the-counter drug can help counteract fatigue and dizziness that may occur due to the conditions. It’s harder to maintain stamina when playing at high altitudes due to the thinner atmosphere and lower oxygen concentration.

England have grown into the competition rather than shown what they are capable of thus far. They needed Harry Kane to produce a magnificent brace to come from behind and beat DR Congo in the Round of 32.

Why England Can Use Viagra

REUTERS/Paul Childs

The Three Lions can use Viagra because it isn’t on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances. The active substance sildenafil isn’t believed to be a significant performance enhancer at or near sea level.

Tuchel’s men won’t have to fret over the possibility of an erection during the match as the medication only treats erectile dysfunction when the recipient is sexually stimulated. Unless a goalscorer gets carried away in their ecstasy during celebrations, their benefits are more focused on endurance and cardiovascular.

While England could use Viagra for their clash with Mexico, they decided against doing so during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. An FA spokesman said at the time that they had conducted detailed research but that “no discussion with regard to Viagra” and “plans for players to use it” took place.

It will take a big effort from the Three Lions to defeat the co-hosts as they have only lost two competitive games at the Azteca in 57 years. Should the English prevail, they may well have the little blue pill to thank.

Thomas Tuchel Dismisses England’s Viagra Use

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During his pre-match press conference, Tuchel was asked about the speculation that viagra would be part of his players’ preparation. A slightly confused-looking Tuchel responded by denying it.

“The information and the support didn’t reach me. That is not true,” the German coach told reporters. It came after midfielder Jordan Henderson, sat next to his manager, joked about the matter.

Asked about the altitude issue facing the Three Lions in Mexico, the Brentford star joked: “Well, the Viagra helps… I’m joking, it’s a joke.”