France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. The only goal was scored by Kylian Mbappe from a penalty in the second half. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Match Overview

Paraguay 0-1 France (0-0). Goal: Mbappe 70 pen.

The first day of the second round of the playoffs began with a major victory for Morocco over Canada. The Atlas Lions won 3-0, becoming the first quarterfinalists of the 2026 World Cup. Their opponent for the match on July 10 in Boston was determined in Philadelphia.

Neither team provided sparkling football in the near 40-degree heat. Paraguay, not seeking initiative, gave the ball to the French. The French, mindful of the lessons from Germany and Argentina, were not inclined to rush forward recklessly.

Didier Deschamps' team struggled so much that the most memorable moment of the first half was a minor scuffle after a foul on Mbappe. Not the only one. Paraguayans provoked Kylian throughout the match, and he responded in kind.

The vice-world champions' attacks clearly lacked speed. Gustavo Alfaro's men managed to cover all potentially dangerous areas near their goal. Long-range shots from the French posed no real threat to Orlando Gill's goal.

Mbappe first broke into space only in the 52nd minute. Juan Caceres managed to take the ball off the foot of the Real Madrid striker just as he was about to shoot.

The game picked up slightly, but the French continued to get bogged down in the Paraguayan quagmire. Desire Doue, who came on as a substitute after an hour, saved the situation. The PSG forward took the game on himself, dribbled past three defenders, and was brought down in the box by Diego Gomez of Brighton.

Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev did not see a foul, but VAR intervened. Converting the penalty, Mbappe tied Lionel Messi with seven goals in the race for the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup. He also closed the gap on the Argentine in all-time World Cup goals, now 19 to 20.

In the remaining time, France came close to doubling their lead, but Mbappe missed a great chance. The score remained 1-0 until the final whistle.

Other Results

South Africa 0-1 Canada, Brazil 2-1 Japan, Germany 1-1 Paraguay (aet, 3-4 pens), Netherlands 1-1 Morocco (aet, 2-3 pens), Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway, France 3-0 Sweden, Mexico 2-0 Ecuador, England 2-1 DR Congo, Belgium 3-2 Senegal, USA 2-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain 3-0 Austria, Portugal 2-1 Croatia, Switzerland 2-0 Algeria, Australia 1-1 Egypt (aet, 2-4 pens), Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (aet), Colombia 1-0 Ghana

Upcoming: Portugal vs Spain, USA vs Belgium, Argentina vs Egypt

The 23rd edition of the World Cup kicked off on June 11. The global football tournament is being held in three countries for the first time – the USA, Canada, and Mexico – and features 48 teams for the first time.

After the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advanced.

The 2026 World Cup will conclude on the night of July 19-20 with the final match in New York.