France Beat Paraguay to Set Up Quarterfinal Clash With Morocco

France booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals after beating a determined Paraguay side 1-0 in the Round of 16. Kylian Mbappe's second-half penalty proved to be the difference, setting up a last-eight clash with Morocco.

Paraguay frustrated France for most of the match in Philadelphia, making life difficult for the tournament favorites with a disciplined defensive display.

France finally found the breakthrough in the 70th minute when Desire Doue was brought down inside the box. Kylian Mbappe stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to give his side the lead.

Unlike their earlier matches, France were unable to dominate in attack as Paraguay kept them under pressure throughout the contest. Even so, Les Bleus controlled possession for long periods, while Paraguay did not register a shot on target until the 90th minute.

Mbappe continued his outstanding World Cup campaign by drawing level with Lionel Messi as the tournament's joint-top scorer with seven goals. The Real Madrid forward has now scored 19 goals in 19 World Cup appearances, leaving him just one goal behind Messi's overall record of 20.

Didier Deschamps' side will now head back to their base in Boston before taking on Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals. The last-eight match will be played next Thursday in nearby Foxborough after Morocco's 3-0 victory over Canada.