France booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over a resolute Paraguay side.

Didier Deschamps’ men dominated possession throughout the Round of 16 encounter but found it difficult to break down Paraguay’s disciplined five-man defensive line, which frustrated the tournament favourites for much of the contest.

Despite controlling close to 80 per cent of possession in the opening half, France failed to register a shot on target before the break as Paraguay remained compact and organised at the back.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 70th minute when Désiré Doué drove into the penalty area and was brought down by Paraguay captain Gustavo Gómez. Following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the referee awarded a penalty.

Mbappe made no mistake from the spot, calmly sending goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way to score his seventh goal of the tournament and hand France a deserved lead.

Paraguay, who stunned Germany in the previous round to reach the knockout stage, pushed forward in search of a late equaliser but struggled to create meaningful opportunities against France’s well-drilled defence.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was rarely called into action as Les Bleus comfortably managed the closing stages to record another clean sheet and seal their passage to the last eight.

Although Paraguay produced one of France’s sternest tests of the tournament with a disciplined defensive performance, Mbappe’s penalty proved enough to separate the two sides.

France will now face Morocco in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash as they continue their quest for a third FIFA World Cup title, while Paraguay bow out after an impressive campaign highlighted by their memorable knockout victory over Germany.