France needed a Kylian Mbappe penalty to overcome a stubborn and physical Paraguay side 1-0 in Philadelphia, booking their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
After scoring 13 goals in their previous four matches, Les Bleus were made to work much harder in sweltering conditions. The temperature at kick-off reached 38.3°C, making it one of the hottest World Cup matches in history.
A Game of Dark Arts
Paraguay arrived with a reputation after knocking out Germany on penalties in the round of 32. Against France, they showed a different side — one that relied heavily on gamesmanship and physical provocation.
Andres Cubas escaped a booking after a rough challenge on Adrien Rabiot. Juan Jose Caceres kicked out at Mbappe without punishment. Gabriel Avalos elbowed Dayot Upamecano in the stomach while Paraguay chased the game.
Astonishingly, while France’s Manu Kone, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise were all cautioned, not a single Paraguay player received a yellow card.
“Paraguay’s players were an absolute disgrace,” former England goalkeeper Joe Hart told BBC One. “If they were on my team, I’d be dragging them off the pitch.”
The Decisive Moment
The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when Diego Gomez brought down Desire Doue inside the box. After a pitchside review, referee Ilgiz Tantashev pointed to the spot.
Even then, Paraguay tried every trick to delay the kick. Gustavo Velazquez was caught trying to scuff the penalty spot before Mbappe stepped up and calmly sent goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way.
It was Mbappe’s seventh goal of the tournament, drawing him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Mbappe’s Remarkable World Cup Record
The French captain continues to build one of the great World Cup careers. He now has 19 goals in 19 World Cup matches, sitting just one behind Messi in the all-time list.
Since 2018, Mbappe has scored more goals in World Cup knockout stages (11) than entire nations like Brazil (10), England (10), Portugal (9) and Spain (4).
Despite being targeted from the start, Mbappe kept his composure and even laughed off Paraguay’s attempts to provoke him.
“They thought we’d show up in tuxedos, but we were ready,” Mbappe said afterwards. “That’s their style of football — there’s no right or wrong way to play the game. They tried to beat us that way, but we won.”
France Find a Way to Win Ugly
Before this match, France had dazzled with attacking football, dismantling every opponent in their path. Against Paraguay, they showed a different quality — resilience.
The extreme heat meant France failed to register a single attempt on target in the first half. Head coach Didier Deschamps, who became the first manager to secure 10 World Cup knockout victories, adapted his approach.
“I asked the two biggest lads to go and stand around Kylian at the end because they were going to chop him down,” Deschamps revealed. “It wasn’t easy. They use every trick in the book.”
“We know how to play ugly football,” Mbappe added.
What’s Next?
France advance to face Morocco in the quarter-finals at Boston Stadium on Thursday. Morocco, unbeaten in 34 matches, knocked out co-hosts Canada 3-0 to reach the last eight.
It promises to be a fascinating contest between a France side that can win in any style and a Morocco team that has become one of the stories of the tournament.
For Paraguay, the World Cup ends in controversy. Their run included a memorable upset of Germany, but their approach against France drew widespread criticism. Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin summed it up: “Every single dark art you can use.”
