France edge Paraguay 1-0 to set up World Cup clash with Morocco

Kylian Mbappe's 70th-minute penalty secured France a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in sweltering conditions, advancing Les Bleus to a World Cup quarter-final showdown with Morocco. The French captain coolly converted the spot-kick, his seventh goal of the tournament, to break the deadlock against a resilient Paraguayan side that had frustrated them for long periods.

Paraguay, who had caused a major upset by eliminating Germany, defended with disciplined effort. However, France found the breakthrough after substitute Desire Doue's impactful introduction in the 61st minute. Doue's menacing run into the box led to him being fouled by Diego Gomez, a decision confirmed by VAR. The goal puts Mbappe level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.

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We are very happy. It's a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives. Canada were impressive - they played a top match. It was no surprise for us but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us - that was the key.

France will now face Morocco in the quarter-finals, a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final. Morocco secured their spot in the last eight by ending co-host Canada's campaign with a convincing 3-0 win. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, and Soufiane Rahimi added a late goal for the reigning African champions.

Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi expressed happiness with the win, acknowledging Canada's strong performance but highlighting his team's ability to exploit space in the second half. He noted that Morocco is no longer an underdog, a fact that brings great pride and signifies the team's emergence as a global footballing power. This marks the first time an African nation has reached the quarter-finals in back-to-back World Cups.

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We're no longer a surprise today and that's a great source of pride. I think this is only the beginning and I hope we'll keep pro