France secured a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup after grinding out a 1-0 victory over a disciplined Paraguay side in their Round of 16 clash in Philadelphia.
Didier Deschamps’ team dominated possession for much of the contest but struggled to break down Paraguay, whose compact defensive setup frustrated the former world champions throughout the first half.
Paraguay, who knocked out Germany on penalties in the previous round, remained organised at the back and limited France to few clear-cut opportunities despite sustained pressure.
Seeking a breakthrough, Deschamps introduced Désiré Doué in the 61st minute in place of Bradley Barcola, a substitution that proved decisive.
The youngster injected pace and creativity into France’s attack and won a penalty after being brought down inside the box. Although play initially continued, the referee awarded the spot-kick after a VAR review.
Captain Kylian Mbappé calmly converted from 12 yards, sending goalkeeper Orlando Gill the wrong way to score what proved to be the match-winning goal.
France controlled the closing stages and almost doubled their advantage in stoppage time when Michael Olise teed up Mbappé inside the area. However, Gill produced two impressive saves in quick succession to deny the French skipper and keep Paraguay in the contest.
The slim victory was enough to send France into the last eight, where they will take on Morocco in a bid to keep their World Cup title hopes alive.
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