This Saturday, France secured its presence among the eight best teams in the 2026 World Cup by defeating Paraguay 0-1 in Philadelphia. A penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé in the 70th minute resolved a highly contested match and allowed the team led by Didier Deschamps to maintain a streak that began in Brazil 2014: reaching the quarterfinals in four consecutive World Cups.

The victory also had an impact on the Real Madrid forward's scoring career. With his score against Albirroja, Mbappé reached seven goals in this edition and equaled Lionel Messi as the tournament's top scorer. In addition, he reached 19 goals in the history of the World Cup, being only behind the Argentine, the historical leader with 20.

France will now face Morocco on July 9 in Boston, after the African team eliminated Canada in the round of 16.

A penalty broke the Paraguayan resistance

Gustavo Alfaro's team played a match of maximum defensive demand and managed to make the French team uncomfortable for a good part of the match. Paraguay opted for a conservative scheme, with a solid defense and a physical game that forced the Europeans to work on every attacking opportunity.

However, the intensity with which the Albirroja defended ended up being decisive in the outcome. Diego Gómez committed an infringement inside the area on Désiré Doué and the referee signaled the penalty that would change the history of the match.

Mbappé took responsibility from the spot and did not waste the opportunity. His execution meant the only goal of the match and was enough to seal France's qualification to the next round of the championship.

The score also reinforced the prominence of the French attacker in the history of the World Cup. With 19 goals accumulated in the tournament throughout his career, he continues to approach the record of Lionel Messi, who leads the historical classification with 20 conquests.

The age difference between the two also marks the contrast in their trajectories. Messi turned 39 on June 24, while Mbappé will celebrate his 28th birthday on December 20, keeping open the possibility of continuing to expand his records in future editions.

The classification confirms the continuity of French prominence in the World Cups. Since 2014, Les Bleus have not missed the quarterfinals, a journey that includes the title won in Russia 2018 and the runner-up position obtained in Qatar 2022. South Africa 2010 was the last edition in which they did not reach that stage.

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