FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — France advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday, with Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty proving decisive before tempers flared following the final whistle.
Mbappe converted from the penalty spot in the 70th minute to break the deadlock in a tense Round of 16 contest in which Paraguay frustrated the defending finalists with a physical and disruptive approach throughout the match.
Paraguay attempted to unsettle France in several ways, including an incident before Mbappe’s penalty when one of its players appeared to scuff the area around the penalty spot in an effort to disrupt the striker’s run-up. Mbappe remained unfazed and calmly converted the kick to give France the lead.
The tension carried over after the match ended.
As players gathered near midfield, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill approached Mbappe and extended his hand in an apparent gesture of sportsmanship. Mbappe walked past without acknowledging the handshake while shouting toward the opposition, prompting Gill to toss the ball toward the French captain, striking him in the back. The incident coincided with pushing and shoving involving players from both teams before officials restored order.
Mbappe later said France had anticipated Paraguay’s tactics and was prepared for an uncompromising contest.
“We knew what kind of match it was going to be,” Mbappe said. “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.”
France successfully protected its narrow advantage over the closing stages to secure its place in the last eight, where it will face Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough.
The quarterfinal will mark the first World Cup meeting between the two nations since the 2022 semifinals, when France claimed a 2-0 victory on its way to the final.
