Mbappe Fires France Past Paraguay Into World Cup Last Eight

Kylian Mbappe continued his sensational FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign by scoring the decisive goal as France edged Paraguay 1-0 to book a quarter-final showdown with Morocco.

Also Read:Ounahi Double Sends Morocco into World Cup Quarter-finals

The French captain converted a composed second-half penalty in the 69th minute after a VAR review ruled that Desire Doue had been fouled inside the penalty area. Mbappe calmly sent Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way, netting his seventh goal of the tournament and moving level with Lionel Messi in the 2026 adidas Golden Boot race, while trailing the Argentine's all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record by just one goal.

Paraguay, fresh from their dramatic penalty shootout victory over Germany in the Round of 16, frustrated the two-time world champions for much of the contest with a disciplined defensive display. France dominated possession throughout the first half but failed to register a clear-cut chance, as Orlando Gill remained largely untested.

The breakthrough nearly arrived early in the second half when Ousmane Dembele struck the side netting following a cleverly worked corner. Moments later, Gill produced an outstanding full-stretch save to deny Manu Kone's powerful long-range effort, keeping Paraguay firmly in the contest.

However, France's relentless pressure finally paid off when VAR awarded the decisive penalty after Desire Doue was brought down inside the area. Mbappe made no mistake from the spot, sealing France's place in the last eight.

Orlando Gill takes the honours as your @MichelobUltra Superior Player of the Match. 👑

#FIFAWorldCup #SuperiorPOTM pic.twitter.com/TdFB9RiTMw

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 4, 2026

Despite ending on the losing side, Orlando Gill was named Player of the Match for his outstanding goalkeeping performance, which kept Paraguay in the game until Mbappe's penalty.

France will now face Morocco, who eliminated co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16, in a highly anticipated quarter-final at Boston Stadium on 9 July.