By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: FIFA.
France defeated Paraguay 1-0 in their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match, with Kylian Mbappé scoring the only goal from the penalty spot at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday.
In an ill-tempered, cagey match, France found the breakthrough in the 70th minute after substitute Desire Doue was tripped by Diego Gomez during a run into the box.
The referee awarded the penalty after VAR review.
Mbappe converted the spot kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
The goal was Mbappe’s seventh of the World Cup, drawing him level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the tournament’s top scorer in the race for the Golden Boot.
He is still one behind Messi’s record of 20 all-time goals at the World Cup. He might have drawn level with Messi but, with two minutes remaining, his long-range shot was beaten away by goalkeeper Orlando Gill.
Then in stoppage time, Gill twice brilliantly denied Mbappé in quick succession.
Messi scored his 20th career World Cup goal in Argentina’s 3-2 win over Cape Verde on Friday. The 39-year-old great also has goals in a record eight consecutive World Cup games.
Norway’s Erling Haaland and England’s Harry Kane are next in the 2026 Golden Boot race with five goals each.
Meanwhile Morocco secured a convincing 3-0 win over Canada in the World Cup last 16 on Saturday as Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and the North Africans ended the co-hosts’ record run while advancing to the quarter-finals for the second time in a row.
Morocco, who will face France in the quarter-finals on July 9.
Morocco were World Cup semi-finalists four years ago, but this is an arguably better team, more balanced and with more attacking threats.
The win over Canada took them to number six on the world rankings and a team brimming with talent has worked out the street smarts needed to go deep into major tournaments.