Philadelphia, July 5: France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16 on Saturday.
France needed a second-half penalty from Kylian Mbappé to break down a disciplined Paraguayan side in sweltering conditions at Philadelphia Stadium. The victory sends Les Bleus into the last eight for the fourth straight World Cup.
Paraguay, who had stunned Germany on penalties in the previous round, frustrated France with a compact defensive display and looked dangerous on the counterattack. France dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances during a tense first half.
The breakthrough came after the restart when France were awarded a penalty. Mbappé calmly converted from the spot, scoring his sixth goal of the tournament and his 19th career World Cup goal, moving him within one of the all-time World Cup scoring record while strengthening his lead in the Golden Boot race.
Paraguay pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, but France’s defence held firm to preserve the clean sheet.
The French side will now face Morocco in the quarterfinals after the African side defeated Canada earlier in the day.
Morocco crush Canada
Houston, July 5: Morocco produced a clinical second-half display to beat co-hosts Canada’s men’s national soccer team 3-0 and advance to the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals.
Despite the convincing scoreline, Canada made the brighter start and created several promising chances in the opening half, pressing Morocco high up the pitch. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made important saves to keep the score level before halftime.
Morocco transformed the game after the break. Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring five minutes into the second half with a well-taken finish following a cleverly worked free-kick routine.
As Canada committed more players forward in search of an equaliser, Morocco struck again on the counterattack. Ounahi completed his brace in the 82nd minute after being set up by Brahim Díaz. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi sealed the victory with a late third goal.
Canada were without captain Alphonso Davies, who remained on the bench because of a hamstring concern, a major setback for the tournament co-hosts. Although they bowed out, Canada completed their best-ever World Cup campaign by recording their first finals victory and first appearance in the knockout stage.
Morocco, semifinalists in 2022, have now reached the World Cup quarterfinals for a second consecutive tournament. They will meet France on July 9 for a place in the semi-finals.
People’s News Monitoing Service
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