World Cup: Mbappe's penalty sends France past Paraguay into quarterfinals
What's the story
Kylian Mbappe scored a second-half penalty to help France defeat Paraguay 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup round of 16. The match was held at the Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday. The victory secured France's place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Morocco on Thursday. Despite Paraguay's physical tactics, France managed to score with Mbappe converting a penalty after VAR intervention confirmed a foul by Diego Gomez.
Goal tally
Mbappe equals Messi's record
Mbappe's penalty kick goal was his seventh of the tournament, tying him with Argentina's Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot. It also marked his 19th career World Cup goal in as many appearances since debuting at the 2018 Russia tournament. However, he still trails Messi by one goal in all-time World Cup scoring history.
Match highlights
France struggle against Paraguay's physical play
Despite their offensive strength, France struggled against Paraguay's physical play. The team had scored at least three goals in their last five World Cup matches, including the 2022 final against Argentina. However, they were held back by Paraguay's surprising performance this year. The match was marred by aggressive plays from both sides, including one from Andres Cubas that nearly sparked a brawl in the first half.
Goal attempts
Gill denies Mbappe with stunning saves
Mbappe had a chance to extend his lead in the Golden Boot race but was denied by goalkeeper Orlando Gill. The French star's long-range shot was saved with just two minutes left in the match. Then, in stoppage time, Gill made two brilliant saves off Mbappe in quick succession.
Match stats
Here are the game stats
From 15 attempts, France recorded five shots on target. Paraguay could manage just a solitary strike on target from five attempts. The winning team had a dominant 76% ball possession in the game. They completed 553 passes with a brilliant 90% accuracy. Paraguay's passes count was 175. Their accuracy was a poor 57%.
Landmarks
A look at the key landmarks
As per Squawka, France have not lost a World Cup Round of 16 game since 1934. Paraguay's Matías Galarza has been dribbled past 16 times during this World Cup, which is more than any other player. Paraguay didn't pick up a single card in a FIFA World Cup match for the first time since 1998 against Nigeria.