France beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 in Philadelphia thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty, and set up a quarter-final against Morocco.
Mbappe calmly converted the kick despite Paraguay’s attempts to stop him, finally breaking the South American’s resistance and equaling Lionel Messi’s record of seven World Cup goals.
Paraguay, who defeated Germany in the last round, defended stubbornly despite the heat reaching 39 degrees and succeeded in stopping France, the strongest team in the tournament, with long-distance shots and slowing down the pace of the game.
Bradley Barcola needed Desire Doue to be brought in for France to find their way. Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev initially dismissed the penalty appeal after being tripped by Diego Gomes, but overturned the decision after a VAR review.
Paraguay were already pushing the limits of discipline at that point, and frustration overflowed with a reckless last-minute challenge that, despite protests from France and a series of confrontations, went largely unpunished.
More to follow…
