France Overcomes Paraguay to Advance to Quarter-Finals
July 5, 2026 · Global
Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty to ensure France's narrow victory over Paraguay, which took them through to the World Cup quarter-finals.
World Cup favorites France had to work hard to book their place in the quarter-finals after Kylian Mbappe scored a second-half penalty that was enough to beat determined Paraguay in Philadelphia. Paraguay managed to limit two-time champions France's chances to very few until a foul on substitute Desire Doue in the box by Brighton's Diego Gomez led referee Ilgiz Tantashev to designate the penalty spot after VAR intervention. Mbappe took a penalty and steered the ball the wrong way from Orlando Gill to seal France's move, while he equaled Argentina legend Lionel Messi on seven goals in the tournament's Golden Boot race.
The round of 16 match started in extreme weather, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius, but this did not seem to deter France who dominated possession from the start. However, Paraguay's disciplined defense proved difficult to break down, and frustration showed when Mbappe fired at Andres Cubas in the 36th minute after being fouled.
Gustavo Alfaro's side, who had previously stunned Germany on penalties in the last 32, defended extremely well during a tight first half and finished goalless with neither team registering a single shot on target. France showed greater urgency after the break and finally forced a save from Gill through Manu Kone's shot from distance in the 54th minute - their first shot on target.
However, it was only after Doue replaced Bradley Barcola on the left wing that Les Bleus found the moment they were looking for. The 21-year-old from Paris St-Germain drove into the box four minutes after coming on and rounded a Paraguayan defender before Gomez stretched out his leg to foul, allowing Mbappe to book France's place in the last eight.
This match brings together two teams that are at different ends of the football spectrum. The French attack, which has played very well in this tournament, faced Paraguay who sought to disrupt their rhythm with physicality, aggression and defensive organization. And breaking down their defense proved to be a difficult task for Didier Deschamps' boys in a match that was one of only three World Cup knockout games since 1966 to not have a shot on target in the first half. But once again, it was Mbappe who provided the crucial moment - this time to send Les Bleus into the last eight and repel the South Americans.
The France captain kept his cool from the penalty spot, after brilliant footwork from Doue to draw a foul, in a match where France were frustrated not only by Paraguay but also by a series of impartial refereeing decisions. Alfaro's team committed 13 fouls but finished the match without a single yellow card, while France received three yellow cards after committing 11 fouls. Mbappe, still just 27, now has 19 World Cup goals from 20 games as he chases Lionel Messi - who has extended his all-time record to 20 goals during this tournament.
The last meeting between the two teams in this competition also produced a tense and tight match in the last 16 - back in 1998 when France hosted. At that time Laurent Blanc scored a golden goal to beat Paraguay and two weeks later, captain Deschamps lifted the country's first World Cup. With Deschamps now in a different role 28 years later, he hopes history repeats itself as his team takes another step in that direction. France will travel to Boston where they will face Morocco, who beat hosts Canada 3-0, in the quarter-finals on Thursday, July 9 (21:00 BST). Meanwhile, Paraguay had to drop out, but they will return for the 2030 World Cup where they are scheduled to host one of the opening three matches to mark the centenary of the tournament.