France booked their place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday, Bold Sports reports.
The 2018 champions endured a frustrating night against a disciplined Paraguay side that defended resolutely for much of the contest.
However, Didier Deschamps’ men eventually found the breakthrough, with Kylian Mbappé converting a second-half penalty to seal France’s progression to the last eight.
Paraguay’s compact defensive display kept France’s star-studded attacking trio of Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé quiet throughout the opening half. Mbappé’s best opportunity before the break arrived in the 31st minute when Dembélé delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area, but the Real Madrid forward was unable to meet the ball with his head.
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France gradually grew into the contest as the game went on, yet Paraguay’s backline continued to frustrate the European giants. Neither side managed to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, making it only the third World Cup knockout fixture since 1966 to reach halftime without either team testing the goalkeeper.
Mbappé came agonisingly close to opening the scoring six minutes after the restart when Mike Maignan’s long clearance sent him racing through on goal. However, the French captain was unable to bring the ball under control, allowing Juan Cáceres to recover superbly and clear it out for a corner.
Les Bleus continued to increase the pressure, and in the 55th minute Kouadio Koné unleashed a powerful strike from distance that appeared destined for the top corner. Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill reacted brilliantly, producing a spectacular save to push the effort behind.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 68th minute after a VAR review awarded France a penalty for a foul on substitute Désiré Doué, whose introduction immediately injected fresh energy into the attack. Mbappé kept his composure from the spot, sending his penalty low into the bottom-right corner to give France a deserved 1-0 lead and take his tally to seven goals in the competition.
France threatened to add to their advantage during the closing stages, but Gill continued his outstanding performance between the posts. The Paraguay goalkeeper denied Mbappé in the 89th minute before producing a remarkable double save deep into stoppage time to prevent the striker from doubling his tally.
Despite Gill’s impressive display, Paraguay could not find a late equaliser as France held firm to secure a narrow victory and advance to the quarterfinals. Les Bleus will now take on Morocco in the last eight on Thursday, July 9, while Paraguay’s World Cup campaign comes to an end.
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