Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal in a tense and physically demanding World Cup round-of-16 match as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday in Philadelphia, advancing to the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive tournament. The victory sends Les Bleus to face Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The match, played under an extreme heat warning with temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, was marked by a combative atmosphere and frequent attempts by Paraguay to provoke the French players. Mbappé, who converted a penalty in the 70th minute, maintained composure throughout, even as tensions rose on the field and off it.
The penalty followed a video review that called a foul on Paraguayan defender Diego Gomez for tripping Mbappé. The French forward’s successful spot-kick marked his 19th goal in 19 World Cup appearances, placing him one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the all-time scoring record. Both players are tied with seven goals in this tournament, leading the Golden Boot race. Mbappé has now scored at least three goals in the knockout stage of three different World Cups, a unique achievement.
The match saw physical play from Paraguay, which had earlier pulled off a major upset by eliminating Germany in a penalty shootout. Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill made several key saves, including thwarting attempts by Mbappé and Manu Koné in the second half and stoppage time. However, after the final whistle, Gill’s attempt at a sportsmanlike handshake was rebuffed by Mbappé, prompting the goalkeeper to throw the ball at the French star in frustration. Gill later apologized for the incident, describing it as a momentary loss of temper.
Despite the close scoreline, France controlled much of the game, although they were stymied in the first half by Paraguay’s defensive approach. Several physical confrontations occurred, including fouls and a moment when Paraguayan midfielder Matías Galarza elbowed Mbappé to the ground. France’s head coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged the difficulty of the match, citing both the physicality of the opposition and the oppressive heat as factors that made maintaining intensity a challenge.
Meanwhile, Morocco secured its place in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive World Cup by defeating tournament co-host Canada 3-0 on Saturday in Houston. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, and Soufiane Rahimi added a late goal to cap Morocco’s dominant victory. The North African team has firmly established itself as a contender on the world stage, reaching the semifinals in 2022 before losing to eventual champion France.
Morocco’s coach Mohamed Ouahbi said the team is no longer a surprise to opponents and hopes to continue its successful runs in future tournaments. The loss brought Canada’s historic run to an end; the team had celebrated its first-ever victory in a knockout stage match in only its third World Cup appearance.
With these results, both France and Morocco demonstrate their aspirations for deep runs in the tournament, highlighting the competitive nature and global reach of this year’s World Cup.