France needed a second-half penalty from Kylian Mbappe to overcome a resilient Paraguay side 1-0, and secure their place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Didier Deschampsā side dominated possession from the opening whistle but found chances difficult to come by against Paraguayās disciplined five-man defence. Despite controlling nearly 80% of the ball in the first half, France failed to register a shot on target before the break as Paraguay frustrated the tournament favourites.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 70th minute after Desire Doue burst into the penalty area and was brought down by Paraguay captain, Gustavo Gomez. Following a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot, allowing Mbappe to calmly send Orlando Gill the wrong way for his seventh goal of the tournament.
Paraguay, who stunned Germany in the previous round, pushed forward in search of a late equaliser but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against Franceās well-organised backline. Mike Maignan was rarely troubled as Les Bleus comfortably saw out the closing stages to preserve another clean sheet.
The South Americansā disciplined defensive display forced France into one of their toughest tests of the tournament, with Mbappeās spot-kick proving the only goal in a contest of few chances.
France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals as they continue their pursuit of a third World Cup title, while Paraguay exit the tournament after an impressive campaign that included a memorable knockout victory over Germany.
Oluwagbemisola Babalola
