Mbappé penalty edges France past Paraguay into World Cup quarterfinals
Kylian Mbappé converted a second-half penalty after a VAR review to give France a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay in the World Cup round of 16, booking a quarterfinal clash with Morocco.
Tense encounter in Philadelphia
France dominated possession but struggled to break down a resolute Paraguay defense in front of 68,324 fans at Philadelphia Stadium. Early chances fell to Ousmane Dembélé and Manu Koné, but the South Americans held firm, with goalkeeper Orlando Gill making several saves. The first half ended goalless amid rising tensions, including a brief scuffle between players in the 35th minute.
VAR intervention and Mbappé's penalty
The breakthrough came after the hour mark when substitute Désiré Doué was brought down in the box by Diego Gomez. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty. Mbappé stepped up and calmly slotted home in the 70th minute, his seventh goal of the tournament and 19th overall at World Cups, tying him with Lionel Messi atop the all-time scoring chart for this edition. The goal also extended his record for most knockout-stage goals in World Cup history to 11.
- Dembélé cross misses Barcola in front of goal
- Koné's deflected shot goes just wide
- Players from both sides involved in a scuffle
- Gill saves Koné's shot from 20 meters
- VAR awards penalty after foul on Doué by Gomez
- Mbappé converts penalty to make it 1-0
- Mauricio's shot saved by Maignan
- Gill denies Mbappé twice in stoppage time
Heated aftermath and Mbappé's words
The final whistle sparked angry scenes. Paraguay's coaching staff, led by Gustavo Alfaro, confronted the referee, while Mbappé ignored goalkeeper Gill's offered handshake and shouted toward Paraguayan supporters. The France captain later defended his team's physical approach.
If we have to get our hands dirty, we will. Paraguay thought we would come to play spectacular, attacking football. We know how to play dirty too. That's what they did.
If they tell us 'Go to hell!', then we'll tell them 'Go to hell!' too. We knew what kind of match it would be. If we have to put our hands in the mud, we know how. We know how to play ugly football, dirty football.
Morocco awaits in Boston
France will face Morocco in the quarterfinals on July 9 at Foxborough, near Boston. Morocco advanced by beating Canada 3-0, becoming the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals in two different World Cup editions. The matchup is a rematch of the 2022 semifinal, which France won en route to the final. Didier Deschamps' side remains among the favorites, with Mbappé now on 10 goals in his last six World Cup appearances.
