France became the second team to book a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after grinding out a tense 1-0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia.
Kylian Mbappé was the difference maker. The French captain converted a penalty in the second half after Desire Doue was brought down in the box by Diego Gomez.
It was a bad-tempered contest that saw plenty of fouls and stoppages, but France held firm to advance. Didier Deschamps’ side showed their tournament experience to get the job done despite not being at their free-flowing best.
With the win, Les Bleus join [insert first team to qualify] in the last eight and keep their title defense firmly on track. Paraguay, meanwhile, bow out after a spirited but ultimately frustrating campaign.
France will now wait to see who they face in the quarter-finals as the knockout stage heats up.
