Mbappe penalty sends France into World Cup quarter-finals after Paraguay battle
The France captain converted a second-half spot-kick as Didier Deschamps' side edged Paraguay 1-0 to book a last-eight clash with Morocco.
Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty fired France into the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday (4 July).
After a goalless first half in which Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill frustrated the French attack with a string of fine saves, the breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute.
France were awarded a penalty after a VAR review ruled that Desire Doue had been fouled inside the box.
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Mbappe stepped up and calmly sent Gill the wrong way, placing his spot-kick into the bottom-right corner for the only goal of the match.
Didier Deschamps' men continued to press for a second goal, but Gill remained outstanding, denying Mbappe twice in stoppage time and producing another superb save from Manu Kone earlier in the second half.
Paraguay pushed for a late equaliser, with Mauricio testing Mike Maignan from distance and Gabriel Avalos adding fresh impetus after coming off the bench, but the French defence held firm through 10 minutes of added time.
France dominated possession and created the better chances throughout, while Paraguay relied on disciplined defending and Gill's heroics to stay in the contest.
The victory sends France into the World Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Morocco, who advanced after beating Canada 3-0.
