Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal from the penalty spot as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the World Cup round of 16 in Philadelphia on Saturday, sending the team into the quarterfinals.
Mbappé and Messi are now the only players with at least seven goals at two different World Cups. Mbappé had earlier won the Golden Boot in Qatar four years ago, though France lost that final to Messi’s Argentina.
Mbappé’s Penalty Breaks Paraguay’s Resistance
Paraguay’s physical approach kept France without a goal for most of the match, but Mbappé settled the contest with a second-half penalty. Diego Gómez’s knee collided with the onrushing Désiré Doué, and after a VAR review, the referee awarded the spot kick. Mbappé converted in the 70th minute to put France ahead.
The match was played under an extreme heat warning, with temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). France coach Didier Deschamps said his players were told to stay composed despite Paraguay’s tactics. “I told my players, ‘If we have played their game we won’t win,'” Deschamps said. “I told them, ‘No gestures, no reactions.’ We had three yellows already. I am calm and collected, if the bench is calm and collected, it helps.”
Mbappé missed a breakaway chance in the second half, and Manu Koné had a shot blocked by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after Ousmane Dembélé was fouled inside the box. Gill also denied two Mbappé attempts in second-half stoppage time, including a long-range effort that was batted away with two minutes remaining.
France to Face Morocco in Quarterfinals
France will next play Morocco in the quarterfinal on Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Morocco reached the last eight earlier on Saturday with a 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada.
For the criticism that hydration breaks have slowed the pace of play at this World Cup, they proved necessary during the heat wave. Sprinklers were used on the field during breaks and at halftime, and many spectators left their seats at Lincoln Financial Field to seek shade during the interval, more than in any of the five earlier matches played at the same venue.
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Mbappé Closes In on Messi’s World Cup Record
Mbappé’s penalty was his seventh goal of the 2026 World Cup, level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. He remains one goal short of Messi’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 20.
Norway’s Erling Haaland has also reached seven goals in this World Cup, level with Mbappé and Messi. It is the first time in World Cup history that three different players have scored seven or more goals in the same edition of the tournament, with the competition still only at the round of 16 stage. Haaland scored twice as Norway eliminated Brazil earlier in the round of 16. England’s Harry Kane is next on six goals after scoring against Mexico.
France’s win keeps their unbeaten run in this World Cup intact heading into the last eight. Mbappé has now scored in every knockout round so far, and France will face Morocco in the quarterfinal as they look to reach a second successive World Cup final.
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