Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot to fire France into the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals with a narrow 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday.
The French captain's decisive goal ended Paraguay's spirited resistance and earned Les Bleus a place in the last eight, where they will face Morocco.
France booked their place in the quarterfinals after Mbappe converted a 70th-minute penalty in a tense round-of-16 match played in sweltering conditions.
The spot-kick, awarded after substitute Desire Doue was fouled following a driving run into the penalty area, gave France the breakthrough they had struggled to find against a disciplined Paraguayan defence.
Mbappe calmly sent goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way, placing his shot into the bottom-right corner to score his seventh goal of the tournament and the 19th World Cup goal of his career.
The strike also moved him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot and within one goal of Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record.
Paraguay make France work hard
Despite entering the match as underdogs, Paraguay frustrated the two-time world champions for much of the contest.
The South Americans defended resolutely and frequently disrupted France's rhythm, while also attempting to draw their opponents into physical confrontations in temperatures approaching 100°F (38°C).
However, Paraguay created very little in attack and did not register their first shot on target until the 90th minute, when substitute Mauricio tested the French goalkeeper.
France manager Didier Deschamps introduced Desire Doue in the 61st minute in place of Bradley Barcola, and the substitution quickly changed the momentum.
Only minutes later, Doue's direct run into the penalty area forced Diego Gomez into a clumsy challenge.
Although referee Ilgiz Tantashev initially waved play on, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), led by Juan Lara, advised him to review the incident. After watching the replay, the referee awarded France the penalty.
Mbappe and Deschamps react
Mbappe said France expected a physical encounter and were prepared to adapt their style of play.
"We knew what kind of match we were going to have. If we have to get our hands dirty, we can do that. We can play ugly football. They thought we would turn up in tuxedos, but we were there."
France coach Didier Deschamps praised Paraguay's defensive display but acknowledged the challenge posed by South American opposition.
"It wasn't easy. They used every trick in the book. They defended well. It is always difficult against these South American teams."
Paraguay's World Cup journey ended after an impressive tournament that included a penalty shootout victory over Germany in the previous round.
That upset prompted Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to declare a national holiday following the team's historic achievement.
Goalkeeper Orlando Gill said his side could leave the tournament with pride despite the narrow defeat.
"Paraguay is leaving with our heads held high. I believe without the penalty we could have done it."
Gill also denied Mbappe on several occasions late in the match to keep Paraguay in contention until the final whistle.
France will now meet Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals next Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The match will be a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal, when France defeated Morocco 2-0 to reach the final.
