Mbappe scores again to send France past stubborn Paraguay

Paraguay vs France; FIFA World Cup Round of 16 Paraguay vs France. FIFA World Cup Round of 16. Philadelphia StadiumAttendance68,324. World Cup 2026: Paraguay 0-1 France - Kylian Mbappe moves level with Lionel Messi on seven goals as Les Bleus reach last eight Match report as France beat Paraguay in the World Cup last 16 to set up a quarter-final with Morocco; Kylian Mbappe's penalty settled a fiery contest in Philadelphia; France captain moves level with Argentina's Lionel Messi on seven World Cup goals Sunday 5 July 2026 00:14, UK Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty gave France a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in an ill-tempered World Cup last-16 tie in Philadelphia to set up a quarter-final meeting with Morocco. Mbappe converted his kick coolly despite Paraguayan attempts to put him off as he finally broke the South American side's resistance and moved level with Lionel Messi on seven World Cup goals. Paraguay, winners over Germany in the previous round, had defended stubbornly in the 39-degree heat up until then, restricting France, the tournament's outstanding team so far, to long-range shots and succeeding in slowing the game down. It took the introduction of Desire Doue for Bradley Barcola for France to find a way through. Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev waved away his penalty appeal initially after he was tripped by Diego Gomez but overturned the decision after a VAR check. - As it happened | Teams | Stats | Knockout bracket - World Cup day-by-day schedule | Latest: World Cup - Follow our World Cup coverage in the Sky Sports App Paraguay were already pushing the limits in terms of discipline at that point and their frustration spilled over with some reckless challenges in the closing stages, most of which went unpunished despite France's protests and a series of confrontations. More to follow...