Mbappé Penalty Pushes France Past Stubborn Paraguay into Quarterfinals
France secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory over a resilient Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium, clinching a spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ quarterfinals.
Paraguay, fresh off a stunning upset over Germany, deployed a highly disciplined, deeply-set low block that successfully frustrated the tournament favorites throughout the first half. Despite Les Bleus dominating possession with up to 76% of the ball, they were largely limited to speculative long-range efforts, while Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill put in a stellar, Player of the Match performance.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute. Substitute Désiré Doué showed superb footwork in a crowded penalty area to win a foul, which was awarded following a VAR review. Kylian Mbappé stepped up in the 70th minute, calmly dispatching the penalty to score his seventh goal of the tournament. The strike marks Mbappé's 11th career World Cup knockout stage goal, further cementing his historic pedigree in the competition.
With this gritty victory, France continues its pursuit of a third World Cup crown and moves on to face Morocco in a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup in Boston.
#BinancePickAndWin
France secured a hard-fought 1–0 victory over a resilient Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium, clinching a spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ quarterfinals.
Paraguay, fresh off a stunning upset over Germany, deployed a highly disciplined, deeply-set low block that successfully frustrated the tournament favorites throughout the first half. Despite Les Bleus dominating possession with up to 76% of the ball, they were largely limited to speculative long-range efforts, while Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill put in a stellar, Player of the Match performance.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute. Substitute Désiré Doué showed superb footwork in a crowded penalty area to win a foul, which was awarded following a VAR review. Kylian Mbappé stepped up in the 70th minute, calmly dispatching the penalty to score his seventh goal of the tournament. The strike marks Mbappé's 11th career World Cup knockout stage goal, further cementing his historic pedigree in the competition.
With this gritty victory, France continues its pursuit of a third World Cup crown and moves on to face Morocco in a highly anticipated quarterfinal matchup in Boston.
#BinancePickAndWin