France continued their march to a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final after beating a feisty Paraguay 1-0 in their round of 16 tie in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Kylian Mbappe scored a nerve-wracking penalty in the 70th minute to score the winning goal and overtake Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot with seven goals. The French talisman also equaled Messi for the most goals in FIFA World Cup matches.
In the scorching heat of Philadelphia, Paraguay made the French work hard. The South Americans stuck to their approach of defending in numbers that had seen them get past Germany in the previous round.
But a mistake by Diego Gomez cost Paraguay when he tripped Desire Doue in the penalty area in the 65th minute. The referee did not award the penalty and only after a VAR check did France get the decision and the fate of the match took its course.
France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals. The African team defeated co-host Canada 3-0 earlier on Saturday.
PAR vs FRA player ratings
France: Maignan (8.2), Koundé (7.6), Upamecano (8.3), Saliba (7.4), Digne (7.8), Koné (7.9), Rabiot (7.4), Dembélé (6.6), Olise (7.2), Barcola (7.0), Mbappé (8.2); substitutes: Désiré Doué (7.5), Rayan Cherki (no rating).
Paraguay: Gill (7.7), Cáceres (7.3), Gómez (7.7), Alderete (6.2), Velázquez (6.6), Alonso (7.0), Almirón (6.2), Cubas (7.1), Gómez (6.4), Galarza (6.8), Enciso (5.8); substitutes: José Canale (6.1), Gustavo Caballero (5.9), Mauricio (6.6), Gabriel Ávalos (5.8).
Published on July 5, 2026
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