Mbappe Penalty Sends France Past Paraguay Into Quarter-Finals

Mbappe Penalty Sends France Past Physical Paraguay and Into World Cup Quarter-Finals

Kylian Mbappe converted a second-half penalty to hand France a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay, booking Les Bleus a quarter-final meeting with Morocco. The strike, taken in sweltering Philadelphia conditions, was reportedly his seventh of the tournament and his 19th at World Cups in as many appearances.

Mbappe Penalty Decides Sweltering Philadelphia Clash

The breakthrough arrived in the 70th minute after substitute Desire Doue was fouled inside the box by Diego Gomez. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev awarded the spot-kick following a VAR check, and Mbappe made no mistake, sending goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way before finding the bottom-right corner.

The goal drew Mbappe level with Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament’s Golden Boot standings on seven, and reportedly leaves him just one short of the Argentine’s all-time World Cup record of 20. Conditions were brutal, with an extreme heat warning in place and temperatures near 38°C (100°F).

France controlled the ball almost entirely, completing 568 passes to Paraguay’s 183 and holding 76% possession, yet a compact 5-4-1 block kept them at bay for most of the night. Neither side registered a shot on target in the opening half — reportedly only the third World Cup knockout match since 1966 with that distinction. Paraguay’s aggression also drew criticism: they committed 18 fouls without a booking, while three French players were cautioned. Incidents involving Andres Cubas, Juan Jose Caceres, Gabriel Avalos and Gustavo Velazquez sparked strong reactions, with pundits Joe Hart and Thomas Hitzlsperger both condemning the South Americans’ conduct.

Victory Establishes Historic Milestone For Deschamps

The result keeps France’s tournament record spotless at six wins from six, with 14 goals scored and only two conceded. Coach Didier Deschamps became the first manager to reach 10 World Cup knockout victories, and afterwards revealed he had told his two biggest players to shield Mbappe late on to protect him from further rough treatment.

For France, this marks a fourth straight World Cup quarter-final — a run underlining their standing among the game’s modern powerhouses. The Morocco tie also carries history, rekindling memories of their 2022 semi-final, which France won 2-0, and Mbappe’s pursuit of Messi’s record adds another compelling storyline as the tournament reaches its decisive stage.

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Ousmane Dembele sedang mengalihkan isu dan ini sudah dilakukannya beberapa kali, dia yang seolah-olah akan jadi Algojo Penalty padahal hanya mau menyerap provokasi yg dilakukan lawan, sementara eksekutor asli (Mbappe) tenang. https://t.co/UvqrRtbTZM

— Siaran Bola Live (@SiaranBolaLive) View on X

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