Mbappe penalty sends France past Paraguay 1-0 to reach World Cup quarterfinals

PHILADELPHIA - Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot as France defeated Paraguay 1-0 to book its place in the quarterfinals at FIFA World Cup here on Saturday.

In a game with few clear chances, Paraguay held firm in defence for 70 minutes before France finally broke the deadlock with a Mbappe penalty to go on and claim the win.

France reached the round of 16 after topping Group I with a perfect record, recording victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway before defeating Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32.

Paraguay, meanwhile, advanced to the round of 16 by stunning four-time world champion Germany 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far.

Paraguay once again adopted a deep defensive approach, lining up in a 5-4-1 formation, while France, with its star-studded attacking lineup, dominated from the outset and kept its opponent pinned back in its own half.

France controlled most of the possession in the first half under the scorching sun, but produced very few threatening attempts on goal.

Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone both tried their luck from distance in the 32nd and 42nd minutes respectively, but neither effort troubled the goalkeeper.

The turning point came in the 70th minute of the second half, when substitute France forward Desire Doue was brought down in the penalty area by Diego Gomez. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty, which Kylian Mbappe converted to give France the lead.

Mbappe came close in stoppage time but could not double France's advantage.

France will meet Morocco in the quarterfinals, with the latter having beaten Canada 3-0 in another round of 16 fixture.