France advanced to the World Cup quarter‑finals after a tense 1-0 win over Paraguay, secured by Kylian Mbappé’s composed second‑half penalty. The match demanded patience from Didier Deschamps’ side, who spent long stretches circulating possession against Paraguay’s deep, disciplined defensive block. The South Americans repeated the strategy that had stunned Germany, limiting space between the lines and forcing France into long-range attempts or hopeful balls over the top.

The breakthrough arrived shortly after the interval, when substitute Désiré Doué injected urgency and unpredictability. His sharp run into the box ended with a challenge from Gómez that initially went unpunished. VAR intervened, prompting an on‑field review that overturned the decision and awarded France a penalty. Mbappé, chasing both the Golden Boot and Lionel Messi’s all‑time World Cup scoring record, calmly wrong‑footed Gill to net his seventh goal of the tournament. The victory sets up a quarter‑final clash with Morocco.