Round of 16
Paraguay 0-1 France
France were much the better team and controlled this whole game, but Paraguay made it a rough, angry game full of fouls and arguments, so it took a Kylian Mbappe penalty in the 70th minute to win an ugly 1-0 and send France to the quarter-finals against Morocco.
How the match went
Let's be honest, this was an ugly game, and not the easy win France really deserved.
France were clearly the better team and had the ball for most of the match.
But Paraguay made it very hard for them, and they made it very physical too.
They kicked a lot, they slowed the game down at every chance, and they went down easily and made a big fuss over every small contact.
That kept the score at 0-0 and made the whole night tense, and it was not an enjoyable game for either side.
So France kept pushing but could not find a way through in the first half, and it stayed 0-0 at the break.
Then France made a change, and it was Desire Doue who finally broke the game open.
In the 70th minute Doue ran into the box and Paraguay's Diego Gomez brought him down for a clear penalty.
The referee pointed to the spot, VAR checked it, and the penalty stood.
That is when Kylian Mbappe stepped up and scored the penalty to finally make it 1-0.
That one goal was enough, because Paraguay could not create a real chance of their own.
The truth is France should have won this by more, but Paraguay's rough, stop-start play kept it close right to the end.
So it finished on a tight 1-0, in what was a very ugly game on Paraguay's side.
Key moments
- ⚽ 70' Mbappé (France) (pen)
Goals in the order they were scored.
pen = penalty.
- Date
- Saturday, July 4
- Kickoff Time
- 17:00 (New York time)
- Stage
- Round of 16
What's next for France?
France are through to the quarter-finals, even if they will not be happy with how they played.
Next they play Morocco, who just won 3-0 and look very dangerous.
France will need to be sharper and more clinical, because Morocco will punish an off night.
But they still have Kylian Mbappe up front, and while he is on the pitch, France can hurt anyone.
That is the end of this World Cup for Paraguay
Paraguay are out of the World Cup after a physical, hard-fought night.
They made life very difficult for one of the favorites and were only beaten by a single penalty.
Their physical, stubborn defending frustrated France for 70 minutes.
So they can leave with real pride, because they pushed a top team all the way.
Common questions
Where and when was Paraguay vs France played?
The game was played on July 4, 2026 at Lincoln Financial Field stadium in Philadelphia, USA. It was a round of 16 knockout match at the 2026 World Cup.
What was the final score of Paraguay vs France?
France won 1-0. Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty in the 70th minute, and it was the only goal of a tense, physical game.
Who scored for France against Paraguay?
Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal, from a penalty in the 70th minute. The penalty was given after Desire Doue was brought down in the box, and VAR confirmed it.
Why was Paraguay vs France so heated?
Paraguay played very physically and fouled a lot. They also went down easily and made a fuss over every small contact, so the game turned angry and stop-start.