France booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a narrow 1-0 victory over a determined Paraguay side, thanks to a second-half penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé.
Didier Deschamps’ team dominated possession from the outset, controlling nearly 80 per cent of the ball in the first half, but struggled to break down Paraguay’s well-organised five-man defence, failing to register a shot on target before the break.
The decisive moment came in the 70th minute when Désiré Doué drove into the box and was brought down by Paraguay captain Gustavo Gómez.
After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty, which Mbappé calmly dispatched, sending goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way for his seventh goal of the tournament.
Paraguay, fresh from their shock win over Germany in the previous round, pushed forward late in the game in search of an equaliser but were repeatedly denied by France’s disciplined defence.
Goalkeeper Mike Maignan had a quiet evening as France held firm to secure another clean sheet.
The South American side impressed with their organisation and resilience throughout the contest but struggled to create clear scoring chances against the tournament favourites.
France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals, while Paraguay exit the competition after a strong run that included a memorable knockout upset over Germany.
