World Cup favourites France were made to sweat to book their quarter-final place. However, Kylian Mbappé’s second-half penalty proved enough to help them past a resolute Paraguay side in Philadelphia.
Paraguay limited the two-time winners to very few chances until substitute Désiré Doué was fouled inside the box by Brighton’s Diego Gómez. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev pointed to the spot following a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention.
Mbappé took the responsibility, sending goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way to ensure France’s progress. The strike drew the French captain level with Argentina great Lionel Messi on seven goals in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Extreme Heat and Stubborn South American Resistance
The last-16 tie kicked off in extreme heat, with temperatures soaring to 38°C in Pennsylvania. The blistering conditions appeared to be no deterrent for Les Bleus, who dominated possession from the opening whistle.
However, Gustavo Alfaro’s well-drilled defence proved incredibly difficult to break down. French frustration became evident in the 36th minute when Mbappé lashed out following a heavy foul from Andrés Cubas.
Paraguay, who had famously upset Germany on penalties in the last 32, defended heroically during a cagey first half. The opening period ended goalless and made history, becoming only the third World Cup knockout tie since 1966 to not feature a single shot on target from either side before the interval.
Super-Sub Doué Unlocks the Paraguay Defence
Didier Deschamps’ men showed significantly greater urgency after the break. They finally registered their first shot on target in the 54th minute when Manu Koné tested Gill from distance. Despite the pressure, the European giants struggled to find a breakthrough until Doué replaced Bradley Barcola on the left wing.
The 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward drove into the penalty area just four minutes after entering the fray, dancing past a Paraguay defender before Gómez stuck out a leg to bring him down. Mbappé kept his composure from the resulting spot-kick to seal France’s place among the final eight.
The 27-year-old forward has now remarkably scored 19 World Cup goals in 19 tournament appearances. He continues to chase Messi, who extended his all-time tournament record to 20 goals earlier in the week. The tight victory evokes memories of the 1998 round-of-16 clash between these two nations, where Laurent Blanc scored a golden goal before Deschamps lifted the trophy as captain.
The current manager will hope history repeats itself on American soil. France will now travel to Boston to face Morocco, who defeated co-hosts Canada 3-0, in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash on Thursday, 9 July. Conversely, a proud Paraguay exit the tournament but look forward to the centenary 2030 World Cup, where they are scheduled to host one of the opening matches.
Read more – Morocco Beat Canada to Reach World Cup Quarter-Finals
Also see – The Children of the Crossing: How Morocco Became Football’s Most Compelling Story
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