Is France still in the World Cup? Yes. Kylian Mbappé’s penalty gave France a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 on Saturday, and the result kept its tournament run alive.
Mbappé now has seven goals in the tournament and 19 World Cup goals all time. Lionel Messi has 20, so the gap between them is down to one.
Désiré Doué draws the foul
Désiré Doué changed the match after coming on as a substitute in the 61st minute. He drew the penalty that Mbappé converted, and that one chance decided a game France had struggled to open.
Paraguay spent much of the match in a defensive shape and played physically against France. That approach held France scoreless in the first half before the breakthrough came after the interval.
Mbappé keeps France moving
The win pushed France deeper into the knockout rounds and improved its goal difference to plus 12. France had already built a strong base in the group stage, beating Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0, and Norway 4-1 to finish with a tournament-best plus 8 before the knockout rounds began.
France also beat Sweden 3-0 to open the knockout rounds. The Paraguay result extended that run and kept alive the pursuit of a third straight World Cup final appearance, something no team has done since Brazil from 1994 to 2002.
Morocco waits next
France’s next opponent is Morocco. France beat Morocco 2-0 in the 2022 semifinals, and Mbappé also remains a central figure after France lost the 2022 World Cup final to Argentina in penalties following his hat trick. The margin is narrow now, but France stays alive.
