France advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Paraguay 1-0, setting up a clash with Morocco.
Paraguay, as expected, started in a 5-4-1 formation and maintained a compact defensive structure throughout the match at Philadelphia Stadium, where temperatures felt as high as 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
The South American side sought chances on quick breaks while committing few players forward.
France dominated possession early against Gustavo Alfaro’s Paraguay, which had conceded just one goal in its previous three matches. In the opening 30 minutes, France completed 202 passes in the opposition half in search of a breakthrough, while Paraguay managed only 33 passes after largely ceding possession.
In the 22nd minute, Kone fired a powerful shot from outside the box, but the ball deflected off a defender and went out for a corner.
Kylian Mbappe threatened in the 51st minute after breaking behind the defense with a long ball, but Alderete intervened just in time before the French star could shoot.
Three minutes later, Kone tested goalkeeper Gill with a long-range strike, forcing him to push the ball out for a corner. It was the first shot on target in the match.
France were awarded a penalty in the 65th minute after Doue dribbled into the box and went down under a challenge from Diego Gomez. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev initially waved play on before awarding the spot kick following a VAR review.
Mbappe converted from the penalty spot in the 70th minute, sending Gill the wrong way to give France a 1-0 lead. The goal took Mbappe’s tally to seven in the tournament and 19 overall in World Cups.
He nearly doubled the lead in the 89th minute with a curling effort from outside the area, but Gill made another save.
Deep into stoppage time, Mbappe had two more chances after Doue carried the ball into the box from the left, but Gill denied him both times.
Backed by a crowd of 68,324 despite the intense heat, France held on for a 1-0 victory to book its place in the quarterfinals, where it will face Morocco.
