France beat Paraguay to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup
This is according to Ukrainska Pravda.
The first half ended goalless
The French controlled the game from the very first minutes, enjoying over 80 per cent possession. However, their territorial dominance produced almost no dangerous chances in front of the opposition’s goal.
The Paraguayans relied on a compact defence and tough tackling. Kylian Mbappé bore the brunt of it, with opponents repeatedly fouling him. Following one such incident, a verbal altercation broke out between the players, though the referee saw fit not to impose any disciplinary sanctions. The teams remained goalless at half-time.
A penalty decided the match
At the start of the second half, the French began to play with greater intensity. The decisive moment came in the 64th minute, when Désiré Dué won a penalty after breaking into the penalty area.
Kylian Mbappé confidently converted the spot-kick, scoring his seventh goal of the tournament. With this, the forward drew level with Lionel Messi on the list of top scorers at the 2026 World Cup.
Towards the end of the match, the French had chances to extend their lead, but Paraguay’s goalkeeper Roberto Gil made several crucial saves to keep his team in the game.
The final whistle confirmed a 1–0 victory for France, securing the team’s place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Match result
2026 World Cup. Round of 16
Paraguay v France — 0–1 (0–0)
Goal: Mbappé, 64 (pen.).
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