France booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after captain Kylian Mbappé scored the decisive goal in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Mbappé converted a 70th-minute penalty after Paraguay's Diego Gomez fouled Désiré Doué inside the box, taking his tournament tally to seven goals and drawing level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi as the competition's joint-leading scorer.
The French skipper admitted the match was far from easy, praising his team's determination to grind out a result against a disciplined Paraguayan side.
France coach Didier Deschamps also acknowledged the challenge posed by Paraguay, saying his players had to cope with physical defending and intense pressure throughout the match.
The encounter was played under extreme heat conditions, with cooling breaks and sprinklers used to help players and fans cope with the high temperatures.
Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill expressed disappointment over the penalty decision, insisting his side had been close to forcing the game into extra time. Despite the defeat, he praised his teammates for their spirited performance.
France will now face Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals, renewing their rivalry from the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where France defeated the Atlas Lions in the semi-finals.
Morocco reached the last eight after an impressive 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada, with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice before Soufiane Rahimi added a late third goal. The North Africans are aiming to continue their historic World Cup run with another strong performance against the former champions.
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