Mbappé penalty sends France past Paraguay in Philadelphia after heated contest

France beat Paraguay 1-0 in Philadelphia as Mbappé converts penalty amid contentious match

What happened: France defeated Paraguay 1-0 at Philadelphia Stadium on Thursday after Kylian Mbappé scored a penalty; France coach Didier Deschamps commented after the match and the win sent Les Bleus into a quarter-final against Morocco.

The decisive moment arrived around 20 minutes from time when Paraguay’s Diego Gómez brought down Désiré Doué in the box. Referee Ilgiz Tantashev reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty, which Mbappé converted to make it 1-0.

The match was played in severe heat, with kick-off temperature recorded at 38.3°C, and featured repeated unsporting actions by Paraguay players that drew criticism from broadcasters and former players. BBC pundits including Joe Hart, Micah Richards and Pat Nevin described Paraguay’s conduct as provocative and contrary to fair play.

Several incidents went unpunished by the referee: Andrés Cubas’ strong tackle on Adrien Rabiot, Juan José Cáceres’ kick at Mbappé, Gabriel Ávalos’ elbow into Dayot Upamecano’s stomach and Gustavo Velázquez attempting to scuff the penalty spot before the kick. Despite those actions, no Paraguayan received a yellow card during normal time while three French players were cautioned.

France defended their approach after the match. Deschamps said he instructed two of the bigger players to protect Mbappé late in the game as Paraguay sought to unsettle him. Mbappé and teammates described Paraguay’s style as physical and aimed at provocation, but insisted France were prepared.

The referee’s performance drew specific critique. Football issues correspondent Dale Johnson noted the officiating failed to curb Paraguay’s rough tactics early, contrasting it with other knockout matches where early cards calmed play. Although fouls were recorded for both sides, Johnson and commentators argued the count did not reflect unpunished tactical and off-the-ball fouls by Paraguay.

With the victory France progress to face Morocco at Boston Stadium, while Paraguayan players and staff were involved in post-match confrontations, including Velázquez attempting to confront French players after full time. The result moved Mbappé level with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race with his seventh goal of the tournament.