In response, Gill thew the ball right at the No. 10 on Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s jersey.<\/p>\n
Mbapp\u00e9 got the last laugh as he scored his 19th career\u00a0World Cup<\/a>\u00a0goal, and France survived stifling heat to beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday, sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew what kind of match it was going to be,\u201d Mbapp\u00e9 said in French. \u201cWe can also get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready.\u201d<\/p>\n France advanced to play Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. France beat Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.<\/p>\n With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Mbapp\u00e9 finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when\u00a0he converted a penalty kick<\/a>\u00a0in the 70th minute.<\/p>\n That was enough for Les Bleus, whose red, white and blue-clad fans looked plenty patriotic on July Fourth in the city where the United States was founded exactly 250 years earlier.<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 was awarded the penalty when Diego Gomez was called for tripping after a video review. Then he\u00a0stutter-stepped<\/a>\u00a0on his way to his 19th goal in 19 World Cup appearances, one behind career record holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbapp\u00e9 and Messi each have seven goals in this tournament to top the Golden Boot race.<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 won that award four years ago, but Messi and Argentina beat France in the final.<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 \u2014 who frequently trash-talked the Paraguayans in Spanish \u2014 is now the only player to score at least three goals in the knockout stage of three World Cups.<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9 botched a breakaway attempt in the second half, and Manu Kon\u00e9 had his top-corner shot knocked away by Gill after he was wiped out in the netting by Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 only moments earlier.<\/p>\n Gill also stopped two strong attempts by Mbapp\u00e9 in second-half stoppage time.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old Gill had bested German great Manuel Neuer in a penalty shootout in the previous round. He then lost his cool after the loss to France when he chucked the ball at Mbapp\u00e9.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried to shake his hand, but since he didn\u2019t pay me any attention, I lost my temper,\u201d Gill said. \u201cBut anyway, that was all I did; I calmed down afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n For the criticism that\u00a0hydration breaks<\/a>\u00a0have watered down the pace of play at the World Cup, they were never more needed for the players than in the midst of a miserable heat wave. Sprinklers showered the Kentucky bluegrass field during the breaks and at halftime.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven our style of play, it was harder to give high intensity,\u201d France coach Didier Deschamps said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Maybe they were looking for some action of any kind.<\/p>\n 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 Andr\u00e9s Cubas took down Mbapp\u00e9 and the teams briefly pushed and shoved each other. Mat\u00edas Galarza also threw his right elbow into Mbapp\u00e9 and sent him crashing to the grass.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s France that\u2019s moving on.<\/p>\n After defeating Croatia for\u00a0the 2018 title<\/a>, France lost to Argentina on penalty kicks in\u00a0the 2022 final<\/a>. Les Bleus are 5-0 in this year\u2019s tournament, outscoring opponents 14-2.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I said to the players, we\u2019ve had easy games so far, so it is good to have a tough one,\u201d Deschamps said.<\/p>\n The city soaked in the moment as the 250th anniversary of American independence was celebrated. More fans honored America \u2014 draped in flags or wearing Uncle Sam hats as they tailgated in the parking lot \u2014 than at any of the other games in Philadelphia, and Idina Menzel, The Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff all performed.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n![\"France's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/D5D6VY5IJ5EF5J6CXGR3MZSZII.jpg\")
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates his team victory at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and France in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026.(Martin Meissner | AP Photo\/Martin Meissner)<\/p>\n![\"Paraguay's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/MBDB733ASREVNCPPFQBYQMN2QY.jpg\")
Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron (10) controls the ball as France’s Desire Doue falls during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Philadelphia, Saturday, July 4, 2026.(Petr David Josek | AP Photo\/Petr David Josek)<\/p>\n