France beats Paraguay 1-0 to advance to World Cup quarterfinals
France advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup following a narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay at the Philadelphia Stadium.
The reigning European powerhouse secured the win in the 70th minute when Kylian Mbappe successfully converted a penalty kick. The goal concluded a highly physical encounter marked by late disciplinary challenges from both sides.
Paraguay maintained a disciplined defensive structure for the opening 70 minutes of the match. However, a single defensive lapse inside the penalty area ultimately ended their tournament run.
With this latest strike, Mbappe has now scored 10 goals in his past six World Cup appearances, bringing his career tournament total to 19 goals. The French forward stands just one goal shy of tying the all-time record held by Lionel Messi.
Both Mbappe and Messi have registered seven goals during the current edition of the tournament. The Frenchman currently leads the Golden Boot race by virtue of his two assists, whereas the Argentine playmaker has yet to record one.
France will face Morocco in the quarterfinal round on July 9, with the match scheduled to take place in Boston.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
