France defeats Paraguay to advance to World Cup quarterfinals

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The French national football team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Paraguay 1-0 in their Round of 16 match held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The lone goal of the match came in the 70th minute when Kylian Mbappé successfully converted a penalty, securing the victory and a ticket to the next round of the tournament for Les Bleus.

For the Paraguayan national team, Moscow Dynamo defender Juan Cáceres and former Krasnodar player Júnior Alonso played the full match.

In the quarterfinals, France will face Morocco, who defeated Canada earlier. The match for a place in the semifinals is scheduled for July 9.

This marks the fourth consecutive time the French team has reached the World Cup quarterfinals. The last time the team failed to reach this stage was in 2010, when they exited during the group stage.

For Paraguay, this playoff appearance was their first since 2010, the year the South American team reached the quarterfinals, which remains their best-ever result at a World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will conclude on July 19. The defending world champion is Argentina.