France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates his staff victory on the finish of the World Cup spherical of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Kylian Mbappé scored his nineteenth profession World Cup objective, and France survived stifling warmth to beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday (July 4, 2026), sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time.
France superior to play Morocco on Thursday (July 9, 2026) in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
With an excessive warmth warning in impact all through the match as temperatures hovered round 38°C, Mbappé lastly broke by in opposition to a bodily, defensive-minded Paraguay aspect when he transformed a penalty kick within the seventieth minute.
That was sufficient for Les Bleus, whose pink, white and blue-clad followers seemed a lot patriotic on July Fourth in Philadelphia, the place the USA was based precisely 250 years earlier.
Mbappé was awarded the penalty when Diego Gomez was known as for tripping after a video overview. Then he stutter-stepped on his technique to his nineteenth objective in 19 World Cup appearances, one behind profession report holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbappé and Messi every have seven objectives on this event to high the Golden Boot race.
Mbappé received that award 4 years in the past in Qatar, however Messi and Argentina beat France within the ultimate.
Mbappé botched a breakaway try within the second half, and Manu Koné had his top-corner shot knocked away by goalkeeper Orlando Gill after he was worn out within the netting by Ousmane Dembélé solely moments earlier.
Gill additionally stopped two sturdy makes an attempt by Mbappé in second-half stoppage time.
Revealed – July 05, 2026 04:53 am IST
