Kylian Mbappé’s second-half penalty secured France’s victory over Paraguay, sending Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive tournament.
Kylian Mbappé scored the decisive goal as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday to book a place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.
The victory sends Les Bleus into the last eight for the fourth consecutive World Cup.
Mbappé scores from the spot
The match took place in Philadelphia under extreme heat, with temperatures reaching nearly 100°F (38°C).
France struggled to break down Paraguay’s disciplined defence for much of the game.
However, the breakthrough came in the 70th minute after a video review awarded France a penalty.
Mbappé calmly converted the spot kick after Paraguay’s Diego Gomez was penalised for a trip inside the penalty area.
Historic milestone
The goal was Mbappé’s 19th career World Cup goal in just 19 World Cup appearances.
As a result, he moved to within one goal of Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 20 goals.
In addition, Mbappé and Messi now share the lead in this tournament’s Golden Boot race with seven goals each.
France to face Morocco
France successfully protected its lead for the remainder of the match despite Paraguay’s physical approach.
The defending European side will now face Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
