France booked a place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the round of 16 at Philadelphia Stadium. The match stayed locked for more than an hour, with both teams struggling to create clear scoring chances and long stretches of play spent in cautious probing rather than sustained pressure in front of goal.
The decisive moment arrived in the 66th minute. A tumble inside Paraguay’s penalty area drew the attention of the video assistant referee, prompting an on-field review. After watching the replay, the referee pointed to the spot. Kylian Mbappe stepped up and calmly sent his penalty past the Paraguay goalkeeper, breaking the deadlock and providing what turned out to be the only goal of the contest.
After falling behind, Paraguay increased their attacking intent and pressed aggressively in the closing stages, looking for a way back into the match. France focused on protecting the slender lead while managing the rhythm of the game. Paraguay’s late efforts failed to produce an equalizer, confirming France’s progression and setting up a quarter-final encounter against Morocco.
