00:00France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay
00:08in Philadelphia.
00:09Unlike their free-scoring performances in earlier rounds, Didier Deschamps' side had to dig deep against a disciplined and physical
00:17Paraguayan team.
00:18The breakthrough finally arrived in the second half, when Kylian Mbappe calmly converted a penalty after a VAR review awarded
00:25France the spot kick.
00:26The result keeps France's dream of a third World Cup title alive and sets up an exciting quarterfinal clash against
00:34Morocco.
00:35Paraguay, meanwhile, exit the tournament with pride after another courageous display following their memorable upset over Germany in the round
00:43of 32.
00:44Paraguay entered the contest determined to frustrate the French attack.
00:48They defended with discipline, stayed compact, and denied France any clear opportunities during the opening half.
00:55Despite dominating possession, France struggled to create meaningful chances as Paraguay closed down spaces quickly and challenged every loose ball.
01:04The South Americans looked dangerous on the counterattack and made life difficult for the tournament favorites.
01:10The first half ended without goals, but certainly not without action.
01:15There were several heated moments between players as the physical battle intensified.
01:19France repeatedly appealed for fouls while Paraguay continued to defend aggressively.
01:25Tempers flared on multiple occasions, forcing the referee to intervene and calm both teams.
01:31The decisive moment arrived in the 70th minute.
01:35Desire Dewey went down inside the penalty area after a challenge from Gustavo Gomez.
01:40Initially, play continued, but the referee was called to review the incident on the pitch side monitor.
01:46After checking the replay, the official awarded France a penalty.
01:51Kylian Mbappe stepped up under immense pressure and confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1-0.
01:57The goal proved to be the match winner.
01:59The French captain once again delivered when his team needed him most.
02:03Although tightly marked throughout the contest, Mbappe remained dangerous every time he touched the ball.
02:10His successful penalty added another goal to his outstanding World Cup campaign and further strengthened his position among the tournament's
02:17leading scorers.
02:19His leadership and composure proved vital in a game where France were far from their best.
02:25Paraguay refused to surrender after conceding.
02:27They pushed forward in search of a late equalizer and created nervous moments inside the French penalty area.
02:34France's defense, however, held firm to preserve the clean sheet.
02:39While the result ends Paraguay's World Cup journey, they leave with plenty of respect after eliminating Germany earlier in the
02:46tournament and pushing one of the favorites to the limit.
02:49With this victory, France move into the quarterfinals where Morocco await after their impressive win over Canada.
02:56The clash promises to be one of the biggest matches of the tournament as two informed teams battle for a
03:01semifinal place.
03:02France remain among the strongest contenders for the trophy, but their narrow victory over Paraguay showed they cannot afford any
03:10complacency in the rounds ahead.
Comments