Paraguay/France – Doué doesn't mince his words on taunts and Morocco | OneFootball

Désiré Doué, the 21-year-old midfielder/forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, spoke to M6 after the 0-1 win over Paraguay on Saturday night in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup (Paraguay/France video highlights). He was asked to reflect on the difficulty of playing against a very aggressive Paraguayan side, before saying a few words about the quarterfinal against Morocco on Thursday at 10 p.m.

Doué: “That’s also where we need to improve.”

A difficult and tense match, and you got the penalty that made the difference. Can you tell us about it?

It was a match with a lot of intensity, a lot of duels. We said it before the match, we had to be ready. There was the heat, but above all this team that was putting a lot of aggression into every challenge. We had to stay calm during the match.

We managed to do that, although at times we still got carried away. That’s also where we need to improve. But in the end, we were able to be efficient, score, and that’s the most important thing today: qualification.

Doué: “The ball is at your feet. No need to overthink it”

What were the Paraguayans saying to you?

They were speaking in Spanish (smile). There were a lot of hard hits, a lot of provocation. But you have to block all that out. At least, that’s what I did.

How do you stay in the match and remain focused?

In football, there won’t be any punches or kicks to the head. You have to play. The ball is at your feet. No need to overthink it. If they want to provoke, that’s their problem. They have quality, of course, but today the most important thing is that we qualified. And that will help us in the next matches too.

Doué: “It’s a very strong team.”

A word on Morocco?

It’s going to be a big match. We’ll have time to talk about it again and prepare for it. In any case, it’s a very strong team.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.