Mbappé ties Messi as France edges Paraguay at World Cup
Photo: Kylian Mbappé (x.com/FIFAWorldCup)
France became the second team to reach the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging Paraguay 1-0 in a hard-fought Round of 16 clash.
2026 FIFA World Cup. Round of 16
Paraguay 0-1 France
Goal: Mbappé, 70 (pen.)
Wall in defense
France predictably seized the initiative from the opening minutes and controlled possession, trying to turn their dominance into goals. Didier Deschamps' side regularly won corners and kept the pressure on around Paraguay's penalty area. However, the Paraguayans defended in an extremely organized manner, leaving almost no open space. Efforts from Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, and Ousmane Dembélé lacked accuracy, while goalkeeper Orlando Gil produced several solid saves.
In the second half, the pressure from the Europeans only intensified. The South Americans lost key players Omar Alderete and Julio Enciso to injuries but continued to hold firm defensively.
The decisive moment came in the 69th minute. Désiré Doué made a bold run into the penalty area, where he was fouled by Diego Gómez. The referee initially waved play on, but after consulting the video assistant referees and reviewing the incident on the pitch-side monitor, he changed his decision and awarded a penalty.
France captain Kylian Mbappé stepped up and calmly beat the goalkeeper to make it 1-0. After conceding, Paraguay attempted a late push for an equalizer, but Les Bleus confidently saw out the game until the final whistle.
Historic chase for Messi's record
The goal was Kylian Mbappé's seventh of the 2026 World Cup, drawing the French forward level with Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament's scoring chart.
Photo: Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi
What's more, Mbappé is now within touching distance of a historic milestone. The French star has scored 19 career World Cup goals, just one behind Lionel Messi's all-time record of 20.
"We know how to play ugly football. They thought we'd show up in tuxedos, but we were ready. Even in that kind of game, we were better than them. That's their style of football — there's no right or wrong way to play. They tried to beat us that way, but we were the ones who won," Mbappé said after the match.
France's next opponent
France will face Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals after the North African side cruised to a 3-0 win over Canada in the Round of 16.
The quarterfinal clash is scheduled for July 9, with kickoff set for 11:00 p.m. Kyiv time.
Earlier, AI named the leading favorites to win the 2026 World Cup ahead of the start of the knockout stage.
