France’s 1-0 World Cup win over Paraguay has extended Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix’s summer involvement, giving Crystal Palace another return-date issue at the start of Pierre Sage’s first pre-season.
The Guardian reported that Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal from the penalty spot after a VAR review in Philadelphia, where the game was played in punishing 97F heat.
For Palace, the result keeps two senior players in the tournament for at least another round. Mateta and Lacroix remain part of Didier Deschamps’ France squad, extending a World Cup that has already become a major summer theme for the club.
Read Crystal Palace previously covered Mateta’s knockout minutes in France’s win over Sweden, while Lacroix’s continued involvement keeps his profile high during a summer already carrying transfer noise.
Sage Faces Staggered Palace Returns
The Palace angle is simple. International success brings status, value and visibility, but it also complicates pre-season planning.
Sage is beginning work with a squad whose senior players will return in stages, and France’s progress means Mateta and Lacroix will not be early names back at Copers Cope.
That is not a problem Palace will complain about too loudly. A club with 13 players reaching the knockout rounds can point to genuine international strength. It still leaves Sage with decisions over recovery, minutes and how quickly his World Cup players are reintroduced.
France’s win keeps the Palace thread alive for another round. For Mateta and Lacroix, the tournament continues. For Sage, the summer calculation gets a little tighter.
