NEW YORK (Agencies) – France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals after edging Paraguay 1-0 in a tightly contested Round of 16 encounter in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Paraguay frustrated the French attack for much of the game with disciplined defending and limited space in the final third. Despite dominating possession, France struggled to create clear chances against a determined opponent.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 70th minute when Kylian Mbappé calmly converted a penalty after a foul inside the box. The goal proved enough to separate the two teams and maintain France’s hopes of lifting another World Cup trophy.
Mbappé’s latest strike also strengthened his position among the tournament’s leading scorers as he continued his impressive World Cup campaign.
Earlier in the day, Morocco advanced to the last eight with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Canada in Houston. Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi scored twice before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a late third goal to seal the win.
Canada, appearing in the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time, showed determination but could not match Morocco’s clinical finishing in the second half.
The results set up an exciting quarter-final meeting between France and Morocco, with both sides aiming to continue their impressive runs in the tournament.
