Calls are growing for FIFA to review the performance of referee Ilgiz Tantashev after he failed to caution a single Paraguay player during their fiery 1-0 defeat to France in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Uzbek referee came under heavy criticism after Paraguay committed 12 fouls without receiving a yellow card, despite a series of aggressive challenges and repeated flashpoints throughout the match. France, meanwhile, had three players booked. Tempers boiled over after the final whistle as players from both sides became involved in a mass confrontation following Paraguay’s elimination.
BBC Sport pundits and former internationals Joe Hart and Thomas Hitzlsperger condemned Paraguay’s conduct, with Hart describing the South American side’s approach as a “disgrace.” Fans also flooded social media with criticism of Tantashev, accusing him of failing to control the game and protect the players.
“Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev with an extraordinary performance. No interest in refereeing, no interest in applying the laws of the game, no interest in player welfare or well-being. France were very fortunate to avoid serious injuries,” one supporter wrote.
Another fan posted: “That was one of the worst refereeing performances I have ever seen at any level.”
A third added: “Not one yellow card for Paraguay. Shocking performance from the referee.”
Many supporters also urged FIFA to take disciplinary action against the official.
“Ilgiz Tantashev needs a red card and should be suspended for the rest of the World Cup. How can he seriously believe Paraguay didn’t deserve a single booking?” one fan wrote.
France booked their place in the quarter-finals thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s 70th-minute penalty, setting up a clash with Morocco.
The match was overshadowed by repeated physical challenges on Mbappé, who was targeted throughout the contest. After the final whistle, the French captain declined to shake hands with Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who responded by throwing the ball in Mbappé’s direction in a moment of frustration.
Hart defended Mbappé’s reaction while criticising both Paraguay’s tactics and the referee’s handling of the encounter.
“I absolutely love how he’s behaved in this game because they have come for him from minute one,” Hart said.
“The Paraguayan players were an absolute disgrace tonight. If they were on my team, I’d be dragging half of them off the pitch. I would never want to win that way. I would never want to play football that way, and the referee didn’t help in any of the circumstances. The fact that not one Paraguayan player was booked during the 90 minutes is absolutely astonishing.”
Former France striker Thierry Henry also praised Didier Deschamps’ side for maintaining their composure despite the hostile atmosphere and physical nature of the game.
“Football won,” Henry said.
“I don’t want to talk about Paraguay. I want to talk about what France did—how they stayed composed, how Kylian Mbappé was laughing at the end, and how so many of the players refused to react to the provocation. It was never going to be easy, but they stayed calm in very difficult circumstances. Like I said, football won.”
