Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026France needed a second-half Kylian Mbappe penalty to break down a stubborn Paraguay side, winning a niggly World Cup last-16 clash 1-0 to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Morocco.Paraguay’s efforts to get under the skin of France’s superstars worked for three-quarters of a game played in front of 68,324 fans in Philadelphia in heatwave conditions on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listHowever, the quality in the French ranks eventually shone through, with Mbappe converting from the spot on 70 minutes after Desire Doue was brought down.This was not an attacking masterclass by the French as they had produced in their previous games, but Paraguay did not allow them to play that way.It was very much a mismatch, though, with Les Bleus having almost all of the ball and Paraguay not managing a shot on target until the 90th minute.Mbappe’s brilliant World Cup on a personal level continued as he rejoined Lionel Messi as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with seven goals.The Real Madrid striker now has 19 World Cup goals in total – from 19 appearances – meaning he is just one behind Messi’s overall record of 20.Didier Deschamps’ team will now return to their Boston base to prepare for a last-eight clash in nearby Foxborough next Thursday against the Moroccans, who beat Canada 3-0 earlier.It was a sweltering day in Philadelphia, with temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) and extreme weather warnings in place in case of storms.France’s last visit to Lincoln Financial F …
