WC26: France Survives Paraguay's Tactics, Heat To Reach Quarters

Kylian Mbappe converted a 70th-minute penalty to lift France past Paraguay 1-0 Saturday in Philadelphia, advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive time. France held a 1.45 to 0.13 edge in expected goals . Mbappe's spot kick, awarded after a video review confirmed Diego Gomez tripped the forward, was the only breakthrough against a physical Paraguay side in sweltering conditions. Temperatures approached 100 degrees throughout the match, prompting the use of hydration breaks and mid-game sprinklers on the field. The goal was Mbappe's 19th in 19 World Cup appearances, one behind all-time record holder Lionel Messi. He now stands as the only player to score at least three goals in the knockout stage at three separate World Cups. Mbappe and Messi are tied atop the Golden Boot race with seven goals each. Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who had stopped three penalties in the shootout victory over Germany, denied two late Mbappe attempts in stoppage time and kept his side within reach throughout. "We knew what kind of match it was going to be," said Mbappe in French. "We can also get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready." Didier Deschamps acknowledged the difficulty of the win. "It wasn't easy. If we'd taken one of our chances late in the game, it would have been a much more comfortable finish," said Deschamps. "Paraguay use every trick in the book. It's not necessarily the kind of football people enjoy watching, but we stayed focused and that's not easy to do." France, now 5-0 in the tournament and having outscored opponents 14-2, advance to face Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.