Kylian Mbappé's second-half penalty gave France a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia, securing their place in the World Cup last 16. The match, played in scorching heat on Independence Day, saw France abandon their usual flair for a more rugged approach, as Mbappé acknowledged after the game.
France adapts to physical battle
France dominated possession early on but struggled to break down a compact Paraguay defence. The first half ended goalless, with France's only shot on target coming in the 55th minute from Manu Koné. Manager Didier Deschamps introduced Désiré Doué on the hour mark, and the substitution paid off quickly.
In the 64th minute, Doué drove into the box, beat two defenders, and was brought down by Diego Gomez. Initially, referee Ilgiz Tantashev waved play on, but after a VAR review, a penalty was awarded. Mbappé sent goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way to score his 19th World Cup goal in 19 appearances.
Paraguay, who had knocked out Germany in the previous round, failed to register a shot on target. They committed 13 fouls to France's 11 but received no yellow cards, while France had three. Mbappé criticised Paraguay's tactics, saying: "We've shown we're not just a team that knows how to play attacking football. If we have to get our hands dirty, we will do it. They thought we'd show up in tuxedos to play, but we know how to play dirty football too."
Heat and celebration in Philadelphia
The match was played in 100°F (38°C) conditions, with a hydration break in the first half. Philadelphia celebrated the semiquincentennial anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence with a pre-match show featuring the Roots and a boys' choir. France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals.
