Kylian Mbappé scored from the penalty spot as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 to book its place in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. The victory set up a last-eight clash with Morocco.
Paraguay employed a deep 5-4-1 formation from the start and maintained a compact defensive structure throughout the match. The South Americans frustrated the French attackers with a solid defensive line and committed tackling.
France dominated possession in the opening exchanges and completed 202 passes in the opposition half within the first 30 minutes. However, Paraguay limited the two time world champions to very few clear chances.
Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone both tried their luck from distance in the 32nd and 42nd minutes, but neither effort troubled the goalkeeper. The first half ended goalless, with neither side registering a shot on target.
The match kicked off in sweltering conditions at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, where temperatures felt as high as 42 degrees Celsius. The game was played under an Extreme Heat Warning and went down as one of the hottest matches in tournament history.
France manager Didier Deschamps introduced Désiré Doué for Bradley Barcola in the 61st minute. The substitution quickly changed the momentum.
Four minutes after coming on, the Paris Saint-Germain forward drove into the penalty area and jinked past several Paraguayan players before Brighton’s Diego Gomez brought him down. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev initially waved play on but awarded the spot kick following a Video Assistant Referee review.
Mbappé stepped up in the 70th minute and calmly sent goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way, placing his shot into the bottom right corner. The goal moved the France captain level with Lionel Messi on seven goals in the Golden Boot race.
Mbappé said France expected a physical contest and was prepared to adapt their style. “We knew what kind of match we were going to have,” the France captain stated. “If we have to get our hands dirty, we can do that. They thought we would turn up in tuxedos, but we were there.”
Deschamps praised Paraguay’s defensive display. “It wasn’t easy. They used every trick in the book,” the France manager said. “They defended well. It is always difficult against these South American teams.”
Gill said his side could leave the tournament with pride despite the narrow defeat. “Paraguay is leaving with our heads held high,” the goalkeeper said. “I believe without the penalty we could have done it.”
