Mbappe penalty sends France past Paraguay into World Cup quarter-finals
Kylian Mbappé scored from the spot to give France a tight 1-0 win against Paraguay on Saturday, which was enough to lead his nation to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
- Sports
- Reuters
- Published Date: 02:31 | 05 July 2026
Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty earned France a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay in the World Cup last 16 in scorching heat on Saturday, sending them into a quarter-final against Morocco.
In an ill-tempered, cagey match, France found the breakthrough in the 70th minute after substitute Desire Doue was tripped by Diego Gomez during a run into the box.
The referee awarded the penalty after a VAR review.
Mbappe converted the spot kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
The goal was Mbappe's seventh of the World Cup, drawing him level with Argentina's Lionel Messi as the tournament's top scorer.
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