Mbappe keeps cool as France survive furnace against Paraguay

Kylian Mbappe converted a second-half penalty, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory for France against a tenacious Paraguay side in a physically demanding World Cup quarter-final. The win propels France into a highly anticipated rematch with Morocco in the semi-finals, a repeat of their encounter from four years prior.

Despite the stifling heat in Philadelphia, where temperatures soared to 39 degrees Celsius (102.2°F), France found clear scoring opportunities scarce against Paraguay's rugged defense. The match was characterized by a gritty, attritional style of play, with neither team registering a shot on target before halftime. France's Aurelien Tchouameni was withdrawn before the match due to a muscle injury, with Manu Kone starting in midfield alongside Adrien Rabiot.

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We knew what kind of match we were going to have. If we have to get our hands dirty, we can do that. We can play ugly football. They thought we would turn up in tuxedos, but we were there.

Mbappe acknowledged the challenging nature of the contest, stating, "We knew what kind of match we were going to have. If we have to get our hands dirty, we can do that. We can play ugly football." He added, "Even at that game, we were better than them. That’s their football, there is no right or wrong way to play the game. They tried to get at us that way, but we won."

France eventually broke the deadlock when substitute Desire Doue was fouled in the box by Paraguay's Diego Gomez, leading to Mbappe's decisive penalty. Paraguay, aiming to avenge their 1998 defeat to France, employed a minimalist, defensive approach that ultimately proved unrewarded. France made one change from their previous match, with Kone replacing the injured Tchouameni.

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Even at that game, we were better than them. That’s their football, there is no right or wrong way to play the game. They tried to get at us that way, but we won.