Match report
Mbappé penalty sends France past Paraguay in last 16
France booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Paraguay in the Round of 16 at Lincoln Financial Field. Kylian Mbappé's 70th-minute penalty proved the only goal on a night in which Didier Deschamps' side dominated for long spells without initially finding a breakthrough.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
The first half ended goalless despite France's territorial control, with Gustavo Alfaro's Paraguay holding firm and limiting clear openings. The deadlock broke just after the hour mark when Mbappé converted from the spot to make it 1-0, a lead France would not relinquish as the match wore on.
France finished with 76 percent of possession and 15 shots to Paraguay's five, underlining their grip on proceedings throughout, while Paraguay picked up three yellow cards as they battled to contain the pressure. Neither side saw a player sent off, and France saw out the remainder of the match comfortably to progress.
Dayotchanculle Upamecano was rated the top performer on the pitch at 7.5, with Mike Maignan and Désiré Doué also earning strong marks of 7.3 for France.
France's dominance was reflected in their 76 percent share of possession compared to Paraguay's 24 percent.
France won 1–0 away against Paraguay (half-time 0–0).
Paraguay met France in the World Cup (Round of 16). Kick-off was Saturday, 4 July 2026, 21:00 UTC at Lincoln Financial Field. Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev.
Key moments
- 70' Goal (penalty): Kylian Mbappé — 0–1 · Watch Kylian Mbappé's goal video (70')
Starting line-ups
Paraguay (5-4-1)
- 12 O. Gill
- 6 Júnior Alonso
- 3 Omar Alderete
- 15 Gustavo Gómez (c)
- 2 G. Velazquez
- 4 J. Caceres
- 23 Matías Galarza
- 14 Adrián Cubas
- 8 Diego Gómez
- 10 Miguel Almirón
- 19 Julio Enciso
France (4-2-3-1)
What the press said
🚨🇵🇾 OFFICIAL: Orlando Gill, Man of the Match for Paraguay-France. https://t.co/gwJcQwCZzF
❤️ 13kopen on X ↗
💥🇫🇷 France eliminate proud Paraguay as they fly to World Cup quarter finals! Mbappé, second top scorer in World Cup history. Who’s been your Man of the Match? https://t.co/CVyyt9FCNU
❤️ 11kopen on X ↗
About this match
On this page: the Paraguay vs France final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this World Cup fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Paraguay 0–1 France. Explore more on the Paraguay and France team pages or the World Cup page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Paraguay vs France?
France won 1–0 away against Paraguay (half-time 0–0).
›Who scored in Paraguay vs France?
Kylian Mbappé (70') (penalty) for France.
›Where can I watch Paraguay vs France highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Paraguay 0–1 France are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.