José Canale recalled the World Cup and threw a jab at Germany and France: "They didn't like the rough play"

After his participation with the Paraguayan National Team in the 2026 World Cup, José Canale played again with the Lanús jersey in the 1-0 victory over San Lorenzo in the Clausura Tournament. After the match, the defender analyzed the Albirroja's campaign and made a notable comparison between South American and European football.

In an interview with ESPN, the defender recalled the historic penalty shootout victory against Germany in the Round of 16 and the narrow 1-0 defeat to France in the next round, two matches that, as he explained, were also decided by physical aspects.

"The Germans didn't like physical contact, nor did the French. If you bumped into them a little too much, you took them out of the game", said the footballer, who was part of the team coached by Gustavo Alfaro during the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Canale went a step further by comparing both playing styles and highlighted the competitiveness of football in this part of the continent. "Argentinian and South American football is much more complex, much more difficult than European football. We found out today that Barracas beat River, and that shows you that it's much more complicated because anyone can beat anyone", he stated.

Paraguay was one of the teams that surprised in the tournament. After a tough debut with a 4-1 defeat to the United States, the Guarani team reacted with a 1-0 victory over Turkey and a scoreless draw against Australia, results that allowed them to advance to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.

In the Round of 16, the big upset came. After drawing 1-1 with Germany both in regular time and extra time, the Albirroja won 4-3 in the penalty shootout and eliminated one of the title contenders. Unfortunately, their journey ended in the Round of 16, where they lost narrowly to France with a penalty goal from Kylian Mbappé.

Back in Lanús, Canale started the second semester with a victory and took the opportunity to highlight Paraguay's performance in the World Cup, in addition to reaffirming the intensity and the difficulties that, in his view, characterize South American football.