France 1-0 Paraguay Highlights, FIFA World Cup 2026: Mbappe's Solitary Goal Books Les Bleus' Place In Quarter-Final

Greetings, we are back with our FIFA World Cup 2026 live blog as France and Paraguay face-off in the Round of 16 match. The action is about to begin, so stay tuned for all the live updates from Philadelphia Stadium.

Morocco have beaten Canada 3-0 in the first game of the day and The Atlas Lions will face the winner of the match between France and Paraguay.

France XI: M Maignan, L Digne, D Upamecano, J Kounde, W Saliba, M Kone, A Rabiot, O Dembele, K Mbappe, M Olise, B Barcola.

Paraguay XI: O Gill, G Velazquez, O Alderete, J J Caceres, J Alonso, G Gomez, D Gomez, M Almiron, A Cubas, M Galarza, J Enciso.

Paraguay subs: G Fernandez, G Olveira, F Balbuena, J Canale, A Maidana, R Sosa, Mauricio, D Bobadilla, B Ojeda, B Caballero, A Sanabria, A Romero Gamarra, A Arce, G Avalos, I Pitta.

France subs: B Samba, R Risser, M Gusto, I Konate, T Hernandez, L Hernandez, M Lacroix, A Tchouameni, N Kante, W Zaire-Emery, R Cherki, M Akliouche, M Thuram, D Doue, J-P Mateta.

The most recent encounter between these two teams in a World Cup match occurred during the round of 16 at the 1998 tournament held in Lens. On that occasion, France emerged victorious with a score of 1-0, thanks to a golden goal scored by Laurent Blanc. This victory propelled them to ultimately win the World Cup on their home turf.

Kylian Mbappe will win his 103rd France cap today - equalling his boss Didier Deschamps in ninth on the list of most-capped players for the country.

The temperature recorded at Philadelphia Airport is currently 101°F, just half an hour prior to the commencement of this World Cup match, which is taking place approximately five miles away at Lincoln Financial Field. Additionally, we are monitoring more than just the temperature. A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued, effective until 11 PM local time. This afternoon, the storms are anticipated to become more widespread, with the primary concern for this game being wind gusts exceeding 70 mph.

Both sides have been standing in the tunnel with the American national anthem being sung. It's US Independence Day in the States.

France start the action against Paraguay. Who will join Morocco in the quarter-finals?

Paraguay 0-0 France 1'

Mbappe puts on a twinkling feet with PAR parked in their own half and FRA putting in the pressure early on. The heat is on, both on the field and the players.

Paraguay 0-0 France 6'

Bradley Barcola is in the PAR box and he chops back on to his left and finds Lucas Digne on the overlap. The Aston Villa defender delivers first time but it's straight at Orlando Gill.

Paraguay 0-0 France 16'

Bradley Barcola for a swipe at Juan Jose Caceres and the ref immediately flashes his yellow at the PSG winger.

Paraguay 0-0 France 19'

Time for a hydration break with both sets of players wanting a stop in play, given the heat.

Paraguay 0-0 France 24'

Everytime FRA get near the PAR goal, they feel they can score. Barcola, Olise, Dembele and Mbappe - all are dangerous players and PAR have to be vary of it.

Paraguay 0-0 France 29'

Well, well! The mercury is rising and so on the pitch. Kylian Mbappe is fouled and vents his frustration but giving Andres Cubas a shove in the chest. Both sets of players clash but nothing doing.

Paraguay 0-0 France 34'

Dembele flicks in the corner and it goes straight into Mbappe's side who is felled but the ref says 'no' and the PAR players are elated at the ref's call.

Paraguay 0-0 France 40'

Glad to see that the additional minutes added are just three given the rising temperatures.

Paraguay 0-0 France 45+1'

PAR fans are ecstatic in the stands as they see their players walk back into the tunnel after a 0-0 goalless half. Superb piece of defence this from the South American side, who have not allowed an inch to the 2022 runners-up.

Paraguay 0-0 France

The second half is underway in the sweltering Philly.

Paraguay 0-0 France 46'

Mike Maignan gathers the ball and sends it long for Kylian Mbappe to burst on to. The Real Madrid is one-on-one with the PAR goalie but it's a stunning recovery from Juan Jose Caceres. FRA should have been 1-0 up there but Paraguay somehow get out of jail.

Paraguay 0-0 France 50'

France have launched attacks after attacks on the PAR goal but none have come to any fruition. The Les Bleus know that a goal is just around the corner, it is only about building momentum.

Paraguay 0-0 France 54'

Julio Enciso wants to be subbed off and the ex-Brighton man iss replaced by Gustavo Caballero.

France make their first move with Desire Doue replacing Bradley Barcola.

Paraguay 0-0 France 61'

France finally break the deadlock!

After a tense, scoreless battle in the sweltering Philadelphia heat, France have surged ahead in their Round of 16 clash against Paraguay. The breakthrough arrived via a penalty in the 69th minute after Désiré Doué’s dazzling footwork saw him brought down in the box by Diego Gomez.

Following a VAR review that confirmed the challenge, captain Kylian Mbappé stepped up to the spot. Despite the pressure and the best efforts of the Paraguayan defenders to unsettle him, Mbappé coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, giving Les Bleus a vital 1-0 lead as the match enters the final stages.

Paraguay 0-1 France 70'

Tensions flared in Philadelphia as the physical battle between France and Paraguay intensified during their Round of 16 encounter. In a heated sequence on the right flank, Kylian Mbappé sent Juan José Cáceres to the ground with a challenge that appeared to be a response to the persistent, rough defensive pressure he had faced throughout the match.

Cáceres reacted sharply to the contact by kicking out at the French captain. However, referee Ilgiz Tantashev missed the off-the-ball retaliation, and no disciplinary action was taken against either player, allowing the match to continue amidst the rising frustration.

Paraguay 0-1 France 80'

Paraguay attempted to find a late equalizer in their Round of 16 match against France as the clock wound down. Matías Galarza delivered a header into the path of substitute Maurício, who fired a right-footed effort toward the bottom corner. However, the shot lacked the power to beat Mike Maignan, who handled the attempt comfortably to preserve France's slim lead.

Paraguay 0-1 France 90'

France have narrowly progressed to the quarter-finals after a dramatic conclusion in Philadelphia. The closing stages saw Kylian Mbappé inches away from sealing the victory; after Michael Olise played a sublime through ball to Désiré Doué, the winger teed up Mbappé for a strike from the edge of the box. Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill produced a miracle double-save, denying Mbappé twice in quick succession to keep his side's hopes alive.

Despite that frantic late pressure, Paraguay could not find an equalizer. Moments later, the referee sounded the full-time whistle, confirming France’s 1-0 win. While Les Bleus will be relieved to survive those late scares, it was a masterful defensive display and a heroic goalkeeping effort from Gill that defined this tight encounter. France now march on, proving they have the mettle to grind out results in the high-stakes environment of the knockout rounds.

Paraguay 0-1 France Full-Time'

Following their hard-fought 1–0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16, France has officially advanced to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Their next challenge will be against Morocco, who secured their place in the final eight after defeating Canada 3–0. This quarter-final matchup marks the second consecutive World Cup meeting between the two nations, following their dramatic semi-final clash in Qatar during the 2022 tournament, where France emerged victorious. The upcoming match is scheduled to take place on July 9, 2026, at Boston Stadium