Philadelphia, USA – France secured their place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Paraguay 1-0. The match was played Saturday evening at Lincoln Financial Field as part of the Round of 16.
The French team imposed their dominance on the game from the opening minutes, maintaining possession for long periods. In contrast, Paraguay relied on a compact defense, closing down spaces to prevent “Les Bleus” from attacking.
Despite French dominance, the first half ended in a goalless draw, as France’s attempts lacked the final touch. Meanwhile, Paraguay’s defense and goalkeeper successfully kept a clean sheet.
At the start of the second half, the French team intensified their pressure in search of the opening goal. Adrien Rabiot nearly scored with a powerful shot in the 50th minute, but the Paraguayan goalkeeper made another excellent save. He also denied a dangerous attempt from Youssouf Fofana Koné five minutes later.
The turning point came in the 66th minute when Desiree Doué went down in the penalty area. The referee, after consulting VAR, awarded a penalty.
Kylian Mbappe successfully took the penalty, putting the ball into the net in the 70th minute. He gave his country the only goal of the match and a ticket to the next round.
ملخص مباراة باراغواي وفرنسا | دور الـ 16 – كأس العالم FIFA 2026™#كأس_العالم2026 | #مونديال2026 | #كأس_العالم#beINWC26 | #FIFAWorldCup2026 | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/4zrnSV3JbO
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) July 4, 2026The match also saw France reach their 150th World Cup goal, becoming only the fourth team to achieve this milestone, after Brazil, Germany, and Argentina.
With this victory, the French national team will face Morocco in the quarter-finals, after the “Atlas Lions” qualified by defeating Canada 3-0.
