Kylian Mbappé fires France into World Cup quarterfinals after edging physical Paraguay

• Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal as France beat Paraguay 1-0 to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.
• The France captain said his side proved they can match opponents physically after a fiercely contested knockout tie.
• France will face Morocco in the quarterfinals after surviving Paraguay’s rugged challenge in Philadelphia.

Kylian Mbappé said France showed they can win “ugly” after his second-half penalty secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay and booked Les Bleus a place in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

France were forced to battle through a fiercely physical contest in sweltering conditions in Philadelphia before Mbappé converted from the penalty spot in the 70th minute to separate the sides and keep Didier Deschamps’ team on course for another deep World Cup run.

The victory came after Paraguay frustrated France for much of the afternoon with an aggressive defensive approach, but Mbappé insisted his team were prepared for the challenge.

“We knew what kind of match we were going to have,” Mbappé said.

“We can also get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready.”

Played under an extreme heat warning with temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the match became a physical battle as France struggled to create the free-flowing football that had brought them 13 goals in their opening five matches of the tournament.

Mbappé’s penalty ultimately proved enough to settle the contest, taking his tally to seven goals at the tournament and moving him level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.

The Real Madrid forward also reached another landmark, becoming the first player to score at least three knockout-stage goals across three different World Cups. His overall World Cup tally now stands at 19 goals in 19 appearances, leaving him one behind Messi’s all-time record.

Substitute Rayan Cherki said France had demonstrated another side of their game against stubborn opponents.

“We knew that today, we would show our technical and tactical abilities less,” Cherki said.

“We reminded everyone that the France team is not just about football. If you go to war with us, this is the response you can expect.”

The tension continued after the final whistle as players from both teams gathered near the centre circle.

Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill admitted throwing the ball towards Mbappé after becoming frustrated when the France captain ignored his attempt to shake hands.

“I tried to shake his hand, but since he didn’t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,” Gill said.

France coach Didier Deschamps praised his players for maintaining their composure throughout a difficult contest.

“It wasn’t easy,” Deschamps said.

“If we’d taken one of our chances late in the game, it would have been a much more comfortable finish.”

“Paraguay use every trick in the book. It’s not necessarily the kind of football people enjoy watching, but we stayed focused, and that’s not easy to do.”

France defender William Saliba echoed his manager’s assessment after helping his side keep another clean sheet.

“We fought a battle,” Saliba said.

“We won the battle.”

France will now face Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Thursday as they continue their bid for another world title.