Kylian Mbappé Brings France to the Quarter-Finals of the 2026 World Cup
July 5, 2026 · Global
France advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup after beating Paraguay, with Kylian Mbappé the hero thanks to his late goal.
France closed the first half with eighty percent control of the ball, but not a single shot was on target against Paraguay. This match was quite difficult for the 2018 world champion. Paraguay appeared very defensive and even added one defender compared to the previous match against Germany in the round of 16. The main focus was on Kylian Mbappé, who was appearing in his 19th World Cup match. Just twenty minutes before the end of the game, Mbappé managed to score his first goal of the tournament with a penalty, after a foul on the incoming Désiré Doué. The goal moved him just one behind Lionel Messi's World Cup goalscoring record. France had previously created several dangerous opportunities, one of which was through Manu Koné, who fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty box but was parried by Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill. After Mbappé's goal, Paraguay began to dare to attack, but they also increased the intensity of the game which made Mbappé often the target. It was striking that France had to receive three yellow cards, while Paraguay managed to get through the match without a single card. In the next round, France will face Morocco, which is a repeat of the 2022 semifinals, where France won 2-0 in Qatar. This match is scheduled to take place next Thursday in Foxborough.