France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring from the penalty spot the opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday.Matt Slocum/The Associated Press
Kylian Mbappé scored his 19th career World Cup goal, and France survived stifling heat to beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday, sending Les Bleus into the quarter-finals for the fourth straight time.
France advanced to play Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Mass. Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 earlier in the day in Houston.
With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 38 Celsius, Mbappé finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute.
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That was enough for Les Bleus, whose red, white and blue-clad fans looked plenty patriotic on the Fourth of July in Philadelphia, where the United States was founded exactly 250 years earlier.
Mbappé was awarded the penalty when Diego Gomez was called for tripping after a video review. Then he stutter-stepped on his way to his 19th goal in 19 World Cup appearances, one behind career record holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbappé and Messi each have seven goals in this tournament to top the Golden Boot race.
Mbappé won that award four years ago in Qatar, but Messi and Argentina beat France in the final.
Mbappé botched a breakaway attempt in the second half, and Manu Koné had his top-corner shot knocked away by goalkeeper Orlando Gill after he was wiped out in the netting by Ousmane Dembélé only moments earlier.
Gill also stopped two strong attempts by Mbappé in second-half stoppage time.
For the criticism that hydration breaks have watered down the pace of play at the World Cup, they were never more needed for the players than on this steamy, sticky day. Sprinklers showered the Kentucky bluegrass field during the breaks and at halftime.
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More than in any of the five other World Cup games played before 68,000-plus fans at Lincoln Financial Field, spectators fled for the concourse at halftime, seeking shade and refuge from the sun.
Maybe they were looking for some action of any kind.
Les Bleus scored 13 goals in the first five games of the tournament but were stymied in the first half by a Paraguay team trying to turn the match into a rock fight. Tempers flared when Andrés Cubas took down Mbappé and the teams briefly pushed and shoved each other. Matías Galarza also threw his right elbow into Mbappé and sent him crashing to the grass.
Paraguay advanced by beating Germany in a penalty shootout on Monday, the biggest upset of this World Cup. But after a gritty effort by La Albirroja, it’s France that’s moving on.
After defeating Croatia for the 2018 title, France lost to Argentina on penalty kicks in the 2022 final. Les Bleus are 5-0 in this year’s tournament, outscoring opponents 14-2.
The city soaked in the moment as the 250th anniversary of American independence was celebrated. More fans honoured America – draped in flags or wearing Uncle Sam hats as they tailgated in the parking lot – than at any of the other games in Philadelphia, and Idina Menzel, The Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff all performed.