France secured a nervy 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia on Saturday night, grinding out a place in the World Cup quarter-finals thanks to a 70th-minute penalty from Kylian Mbappé. The two-time champions, who have now reached the last eight at four consecutive tournaments, will face Morocco in Boston on Thursday after the Atlas Lions crushed Canada 3-0 in the same round.

Mbappé’s 19th World Cup goal, his seventh of the 2026 edition, came after Desire Doué was fouled in the area by Diego Gómez. The referee, Uzbekistan’s Ilgiz Tantashev, consulted VAR before pointing to the spot, where Mbappé coolly slotted home to settle a bruising encounter played in 38°C heat. “We knew what we were up against,” said France coach Didier Deschamps. “Paraguay made it difficult for us, but my players kept their heads and delivered when it mattered.”

The match was a slog. France dominated possession but struggled to break down a Paraguay side that packed its defence and used heavy challenges to disrupt the rhythm. Manu Kone forced a save from Paraguay keeper Rodrigo Morínigo in the 23rd minute, while Mbappé himself came agonisingly close to scoring before the interval. Tempers flared in the 35th minute when players from both sides were involved in a brief altercation, but the referee took no action beyond a stern word.

After the break, Paraguay’s intensity began to wane. Two enforced substitutions for injuries further weakened their resolve, and France finally found the breakthrough when Doué, introduced only five minutes earlier, was brought down in the box. Mbappé’s clinical finish made him the joint top scorer of the tournament, drawing level with Lionel Messi on seven goals. “Every team plays to its strengths,” Mbappé said. “There’s no right or wrong style—only winning matters.”

Paraguay’s approach drew criticism from pundits and players alike. “They wanted to fight, not play,” Mbappé told reporters after the match, while Deschamps admitted his side had to “get their hands dirty” to progress. The French Football Federation later issued a statement condemning the “aggressive and provocative” tactics employed by Paraguay, which included persistent fouling and, according to several outlets, verbal insults directed at Mbappé.

The refereeing also came under scrutiny. Tantashev was accused of failing to control the game, with critics arguing he allowed too many fouls to go unpunished. Spanish sports daily *Marca* went further, suggesting the Uzbek official’s vision may have been impaired by the extreme heat and that he had missed an obvious foul on Mbappé just before the penalty was awarded.

France’s quarter-final clash with Morocco in Boston on 9 July will be a rematch of the 2022 semi-final, when the Atlas Lions eliminated the eventual champions. Morocco, unbeaten in their last 12 matches, have conceded just once in the tournament so far and will arrive as firm favourites to reach the last four. “We’re ready for any challenge,” said Morocco captain Romain Saïss. “We’ve shown we can beat anyone.”

For France, the win extends their unbeaten run at this World Cup to six matches. They will now prepare to face the winner of Sunday’s clash between Portugal and Spain, or the United States and Belgium, in the semi-finals.

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Articles

Live - Mbappé loodst Frankrijk met rake penalty voorbij potig Paraguay naar kwartfinales en prijst ploeggenoten die hoofd koel hielden

de morgen · about 3 hours ago

La France en 1/4 malgré le mur du Paraguay et un arbitre qui na pas sa place en Coupe du monde Un penalty transformé par Kylian Mbappé à la 70e minute a permis aux Bleus de sortir du piège tendu par des Sud-Américains agressifs et de se qualifier pour les quarts de finale. Le Maroc attend la France.

courrier international · about 3 hours ago

France beat Paraguay to reach World Cup quarter-finals Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot as France overcame searing heat and stubborn defence to beat Paraguay 1-0 and set up a World Cup quarter-final against Morocco on Saturday.

france24 · about 3 hours ago

Les Bleus advance to World Cup quarter-finals after bruising win over Paraguay Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal of the game from a second-half penalty as France beat Paraguay in a cagey Round of 16 tie in Philadelphia on Saturday. Les Bleus will take on Morocco in the quarter-finals on Thursday in Boston.

france24 · about 3 hours ago

Watch World Cup Day 24: France and Morocco advance to quarterfinals Latest match highlights, reaction and previews from the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.

aljazeera · about 3 hours ago

+++ Fußball-WM 2026 +++: Mbappé trifft – Frankreich stoppt DFB-Schreck Paraguay Zwei weitere Achtelfinals am Sonntag +++ Mitfavorit Marokko im WM-Viertelfinale – Kanada raus +++ Klopps Ansagen aus New York und die Pläne der DFB-Spitze +++ Der Newsblog.

handelsblatt · about 3 hours ago

Helmer: „Frankreich hat als Einheit überzeugt – Sieg gegen Paraguays Kneipenschläger Frankreich setzt sich nach hartem Kampf gegen ein provokantes Paraguay durch. Schiedsrichter lassen viele Fouls ungeahndet, Mbappé bleibt souverän. „Frankreich hat als Einheit überzeugt und Geduld bewiesen, sagt Thomas Selmer, WM-Experte, bei WELT TV.

welt.de · about 3 hours ago

Mbappé prijst ploeggenoten die hoofd koel hielden tegen Paraguay PHILADELPHIA (ANP/DPA) - De Franse aanvoerder Kylian Mbappé heeft zijn ploeggenoten geprezen, omdat ze het hoofd koel wisten te houden bij de 1-0-zege in de achtste finale van het WK op Paraguay. De vedette benadrukte echter dat zij ook weten hoe ze lelijk moeten spelen.

rtl nieuws · about 4 hours ago

Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 to reach World Cup Round of 16 Portugal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia at Toronto Stadium to advance to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Goncalo Ramos netting a stoppage-time winner after Cristiano Ronaldo canceled out Ivan Perisics opener, though the match ended amid VAR controversy and crowd disorder.

yenisafak · about 4 hours ago

Türkiye rally past France to reach U17 World Cup semis Hosts Türkiye overcame a six-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat France 94-87 and advance to the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup semifinals. Ömer Kutluay and Darius Karutasu led the comeback, with Türkiye set to face Serbia next.

yenisafak · about 4 hours ago

Kylian Mbappes penalty lifts France past Paraguay into quarterfinals France knew what they were up against with a Paraguay side that would do everything in their power to rattle the two-time World Champions. And eventually, they overcame it. Kylian Mbappe converted from the spot in the 70th minute for his 19th career World Cup goal and seventh of this tournament as France outlasted Paraguay […]

cyprus mail · about 6 hours ago

World Cup 2026: Les Bleus discuss refereeing after Paraguay game 🇫🇷⚽️ Les Bleus secured their place in the World Cup 2026 quarter-finals after a very tense match against #Paraguay 🇵🇾, marked by numerous fouls that went unpunished. Despite the intensity, the #French players reacted with composure after the final whistle, focusing on qualification rather than the controversy.

france24 · about 7 hours ago

Fußball-WM: Mbappé kann es auch dreckig: „Hände in die Scheiße Schmutzige Fouls, Beleidigungen und ein Schiedsrichter im Chaos: Auf Paraguays Provokationen antwortet Frankreich mit ungewohnter Härte. Matchwinner Mbappé erhöht den Druck auf Fußball-Ikone Messi.

tagesspiegel · about 9 hours ago

Fußball: Das war die WM-Nacht: Frankreich stoppt DFB-Schreck Paraguay Kylian Mbappé trifft mit einem Elfmeter zum hart umkämpften Achtelfinal-Sieg des großen Titelfavoriten. Lothar Matthäus legt bei seiner Kritik an Julian Nagelsmann nach.

tagesspiegel · about 9 hours ago

France-Paraguay : French fans in Philly react to 1-0 score 🇫🇷🇵🇾 #France beat #Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday in a frustrating and tense Round of 16 clash, controlling large stretches of the game but needing a Kylian #Mbappé penalty to finally break through. 🎤 Heres what France fans in Philly had to say about the game.

france24 · about 9 hours ago

Mbappé spot-on to take France past stubborn Paraguay into World Cup quarter-finals

bluesky_The Guardian · about 11 hours ago

Revivez la qualification de léquipe de France : face au Paraguay, les Bleus ont mis «les mains dans la merde» Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise et les autres Bleus ont battu le Paraguay en huitième de finale du Mondial. Revivez les moments forts de la rencontre. Le Maroc sest qualifié en battant 3 - 0 le Canada.

liberation · about 12 hours ago

WM 2026: Frankreich und Marokko stehen im Viertelfinale – das war die WM-Nacht Kylian Mbappé erlöst Frankreich vom Elfmeterpunkt aus gegen leidenschaftlich verteidigende Paraguayer. Marokko beendet Kanadas WM-Träume. Die Spielberichte

die zeit · about 12 hours ago

Face au Paraguay, les Bleus se sortent dun match siège Léquipe de France sest qualifiée, ce samedi 4 juillet, en quarts de finale de la Coupe du monde après un match en mode attaque-défense (1-0) face à une sélection paraguayenne malicieuse et repliée.

liberation · about 12 hours ago

France advance to World Cup last 8 after hard-fought victory over Paraguay Kylian Mbappé scored his seventh goal of the tournament from the penalty spot.

thejournal · about 12 hours ago

Paraguay-France: Mbappé penalty puts Les Bleus ahead in tense Round of 16 clash France edged past Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the World Cup 2026, maintaining their perfect tournament record and moving one step closer to another global title. Les Bleus dominant group stage performances have established them as genuine contenders, while Paraguays resistance was eventually broken by a Kylian Mbappé penalty after a tense and physical contest. Relive our liveblog for minute-to-minute commentary.

france24 · about 12 hours ago

World Cup 2026: Mbappé sends Les Bleus into quarterfinals after hard-fought win over Paraguay

france24 · about 12 hours ago

Paraguay v France: World Cup last 16 – live

bluesky_The Guardian · about 12 hours ago

Coupe du monde 2026: La France lemporte dans un match fermé et très tendu face au Paraguay (1-0) Léquipe de France et son attaque de feu devaient franchir ce samedi lobstacle du surprenant Paraguay pour rallier les quarts de finale de la Coupe du monde. La tâche fut compliquée... ...

la libre · about 13 hours ago

EN DIRECT, Paraguay - France : grâce à un penalty de Kylian Mbappé, les Bleus se sortent du piège paraguayen et se qualifient pour les quarts Les Bleus sattendaient à un duel rugueux face à une équipe solide en défense et décidée à les faire déjouer : ils ont été servis. Mais ils ont fini par simposer de la plus petite des marges (1-0) et affronteront le Maroc pour une place en demi-finale du Mondial.

le monde · about 13 hours ago

Mbappé bestraft Paraguays grobe Unsportlichkeiten – Frankreich quält sich zum Sieg Paraguay rührte auch gegen Frankreich Beton an. Die Südamerikaner zerstörten den Rhythmus und verteidigten am Rand der Legalität. Der Turnierfavorit benötigte daher einen Elfmeter, um ins Viertelfinale einzuziehen.

welt.de · about 13 hours ago

EN DIRECT - Coupe du Monde : direction les quarts de finale pour les Bleus ! Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise et les autres Bleus ont battu le Paraguay en huitième de finale du Mondial. Revivez les moments forts de la rencontre. Le Maroc sest qualifié en battant 3 - 0 le Canada.

liberation · about 13 hours ago

Fußball-WM: Mbappé trifft: Frankreich stoppt DFB-Schreck Paraguay Genau wie Deutschland tut sich auch Frankreichs Star-Offensive extrem schwer gegen Paraguays Defensivkünstler. Schließlich entscheiden ein Elfmeter und Star-Stürmer Kylian Mbappé das WM-Achtelfinale.

tagesspiegel · about 13 hours ago

EN DIRECT - France - Paraguay : fin de match ennuyeuse, la France bientôt heureuse ? Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise et les autres Bleus affrontent actuellement le Paraguay en huitième de finale du Mondial. Suivez les moments forts de la rencontre dont le coup denvoi. Le Maroc sest qualifié en battant 3 - 0 le Canada.

liberation · about 13 hours ago

Paraguay vs France LIVE: FIFA World Cup 2026 last 16 Live coverage and text commentary stream updates as Mbappes France face Paraguay in the Round of 16 knockout game.

aljazeera · about 13 hours ago