FIFA: ‘Penalty Drama’ And Mbappé’s perfect aim… France reached quarter finals by defeating Paraguay

By Samira Vishwas On Jul 5, 2026

France vs Paraguay FIFA World Cup 2026: France has confirmed its place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. France performed brilliantly in the Round of 16, defeating Paraguay 1-0. The hero of this victory was Kylian Mbappe, who scored the only goal of the match. France were awarded a penalty after Desire Douay was fouled inside the penalty box.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mbappe remained calm and converted the penalty into a goal without any mistake. It was Mbappé’s seventh goal of the tournament, earning him the ‘Golden Boot’ Remains a strong contender. It was also his record-breaking 11th goal in World Cup knockout matches. Additionally, he became the first player to score in three consecutive World Cup round of 16 matches.

Very difficult match for France

However, this match was not at all easy for France. Paraguay played a disciplined game throughout the match and did not give many chances to France due to strong defence. France had more control of the ball in the first half, but the team could not penetrate Paraguay’s strong defense. Most of the efforts of the French players were limited to shots from distance, which were easily saved by goalkeeper Orlando Gil.

HEAT UP BW FRANCE AND PARAGUAY
PARAGUAY PLAYERS PUSHED DICTATOR MBAPPE!!!!!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/Qju089KPEJ
— Kanishk (@jeene2yarr) July 4, 2026

France played aggressively in the second half. Ousmane Dembele tried to score on a sharp corner move, but the ball hit the side netting. After this, Manu Kone’s powerful long-range shot was stopped by Orlando Gil with a brilliant dive. Amidst the ever-increasing pressure, France finally got a penalty in the 69th minute and Kylian Mbappe converted it to give the team a decisive lead.

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After this, France maintained the lead till the end and entered the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory. Now in the last eight match, France will face Morocco, which has won the quarter-final ticket by defeating Canada 3-0 in its round of 16 match.

What did Mbappe say after the match?

After the match, Mbappe said, ‘We knew what kind of match to expect. I think for us to play a game like that and see how we handled it was really cool. We showed that we are not just a team that plays attacking football. Every team uses its strengths. There is no right or wrong way to play. Now we have to focus on the match against Morocco. We’re really looking forward to facing them because we know they’re a very good team.”

(with agency input)