France booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging Paraguay 1-0 in their Round of 16 encounter on Sunday, and will now face Morocco in the next round.
The match remained goalless at the end of the first half, with Paraguay frustrating the French attack and preventing Les Bleus from finding a breakthrough.
The decisive moment came after the restart when France were awarded a penalty after Desire Doue was brought down inside the box.
Captain Kylian Mbappe converted from the spot, calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to score the only goal of the contest and seal France’s passage into the last eight.
The victory sets up the tournament’s first confirmed quarter-final fixture, with France set to face Morocco.
Morocco secured their place in the quarter-finals earlier in the day with a convincing 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada.
The Atlas Lions have now reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the second consecutive tournament as they prepare for a highly anticipated clash against the former world champions.
