Philadelphia: France secured a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia. The France captain converted a second-half penalty to help the defending finalists overcome a determined Paraguayan side in difficult weather conditions.
With temperatures nearing 39°C, both teams struggled to create clear chances during the first half. Paraguay adopted a defensive approach and frustrated France, limiting attacking opportunities while looking to threaten on the counterattack. Neither side managed a shot on target before the break.
France increased the pressure after halftime and finally found the breakthrough in the 70th minute. Substitute Desire Doue was brought down inside the penalty area by Diego Gomez, and after a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Mbappe calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score his seventh goal of the tournament.
𝗘𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗦 𝗗𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗘 ! 🤩🔥
Au terme d’un combat intense face au Paraguay, nos Bleus décrochent leur qualification et poursuivent leur aventure dans cette Coupe du Monde. 🇫🇷👊
🇵🇾 0-1 🇫🇷 | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/QIb8GckIKj
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) July 4, 2026
Paraguay pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, forcing France goalkeeper Mike Maignan into an important late save. Mbappe also came close to adding another goal, but Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill denied the forward twice during stoppage time.
The victory sends France into the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, where the team will face Morocco in a repeat of their 2022 World Cup semi-final. France has now continued an impressive unbeaten run in the tournament with another disciplined performance.
Mbappe’s latest goal added another milestone to an already remarkable World Cup career, strengthening the striker’s position among the tournament’s greatest goalscorers. France will now aim to continue the title challenge as the knockout stage enters the quarter-final phase.
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